Achilles tendon tears usually occur in athletes participating in sports that require jumping. The classic story is one where the athlete comes down from a jump and upon landing feels a very painful pop in the back of the heel or ankle. Typically the athlete thinks that someone stomped or kicked their heel. They will immediately experience bruising and pain in the back of the ankle. Once the swelling and pain improves the ankle might look normal; however there will be significant weakness.
The video below shows a classic way to test the ankle to see is a tear is present. This test is always positive when the tear is complete. In cases of a partial tear, the test may be equivocal. If the test is firmly positive, treatment can be planned. Achilles tears can be treated with or without surgery.
I just wanted to show folks how I perform the examination maneuver on a patient that was confirmed as having a tear.