Achilles tendon or heel cord, known as the calcaneal tendon, is a tendon at the back of the lower leg, and is the thickest in the human body.
| FactSnippet No. 1,222,000 |
11 Facts About Achilles tendon
2.
Abnormalities of the Achilles tendon include inflammation, degeneration, rupture, and becoming embedded with cholesterol deposits .
| FactSnippet No. 1,222,001 |
3.
Achilles tendon connects muscle to bone, like other tendons, and is located at the back of the lower leg.
| FactSnippet No. 1,222,002 |
4.
The Achilles tendon connects the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles to the calcaneal tuberosity on the calcaneus .
| FactSnippet No. 1,222,003 |
5.
The Achilles tendon begins near the middle of the calf, and receives muscle fibers on its inner surface, particularly from the soleus muscle, almost to its lower end.
| FactSnippet No. 1,222,004 |
6.
Blood supply to the Achilles tendon is poor, and mostly via a recurrent branch of the posterior tibial artery, and some through arterial branches passing through surrounding muscles.
| FactSnippet No. 1,222,005 |
7.
Achilles tendon degeneration is typically investigated with either MRI or ultrasound.
| FactSnippet No. 1,222,006 |
8.
Achilles tendon tendinosis is a known risk factor for calf muscle tears.
| FactSnippet No. 1,222,007 |
9.
Achilles' tendon is often tested as part of a neurological examination.
| FactSnippet No. 1,222,008 |
10.
Achilles tendon is short or absent in great apes, but long in arboreal gibbons and humans.
| FactSnippet No. 1,222,009 |
11.
Verheyen referred to the mythological account of Achilles tendon being held by the heel by his mother Thetis when she dipped him in the River Styx as a baby to render his body invulnerable.
| FactSnippet No. 1,222,010 |