David Beckham Tears Achilles Tendon

David Beckham returned to Britain on Monday after being sidelined with an injury last week in Finland. The soccer superstar suffered a total tear of the Achilles tendon during the game, and will be sidelined for several months to recover. This comes as a huge blow to Beckham, who was hoping to play in the World Cup this June. This would have been Beckham’s fourteenth consecutive appearance in the World Cup.

The injury occurred last Sunday, in an AC Milan game. Beckham has been on loan to AC Milan from the Los Angeles Galaxy. Beckham came to Major League Soccer’s L.A. Galaxy in 2007 when he signed a $250 million dollar deal, a record for soccer players, and throwing him into the ranks of some the biggest sports contracts ever.

Following the injury, Beckham was brought to Turku, Finland where he was operated on.

According to Dr. Sakari Orava, the surgeon who performed the procedure, Beckham will be in a cast for three to four weeks, followed by months of rehabilitation. In general, the time it takes for a complete recovery takes around six months. This is likely to be minimum amount of time it will take for David Beckham to return to playing.

The Achilles tendon is a continuation of the gastrocnemius and the soleus muscles, which are collectively considered to be the muscles of the calf. The muscles combine to form the Achilles tendon, with then inserts into the calcaneus (heel bone).

With tight calf muscles, there is extra strain put on the tendon. With enough downward force, such as from landing on the foot from a jump, can tear the tendon. The calf muscles play a huge role in most sports, as they help us run, jump. Pivot, and maneuver in many different activities.

In Beckham’s case, and in many other cases, the tendon can be completely ruptured. When this happens, there are both surgical and non-surgical options. Surgically, the tendon is sewn together with durable sutures. The foot is then put into a cast for three to four weeks, or until the tendon can heal itself.

In non-surgical treatment, the foot may be put into a cast without any repair of the tendon itself. The tendon will actually heal itself over time. Studies show that after one year, the results of both surgical and non-surgical care are about the same.

Surgical intervention, however, has been shown to provide results faster than non-surgical options. There is also a slightly greater chance of a second tear or rupture when the tendon is not repaired surgically. For these reasons, it is understandable that David Beckham and his trainers and doctors opted for surgical treatment.

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