Achilles tear in ski crash?

Glad to hear you're doing better, man.

My progress has been much like yours except that I haven't had access to a pool. I bought myself a nice spin bike (since I had enjoyed the occasional spin class before getting injured) and have been riding every day that I'm not in "real" PT. Stationary bikes and treadmills really don't bother me like they do other folks. I just turn on the TV and go!

After clearing it with the surgeon, I got out for one day of skiing locally. Skiing itself wasn't so bad, other than being much weaker than in the past, but the dangling weight of the boot and ski while on the lifts (with no foot rests) really bothered me at the beginning of the day. After 45 minutes, the pain of riding the lift was getting pretty bad, so I took a break for a bit, and deliberated calling it a day. The pain quieted down considerably with 10 or 15 minutes of rest so I went back out, and for whatever reason, I was mostly fine from there on out. I skied about half a day before I got bored and went home (the place I went didn't have much to offer except close and cheap). I'm hoping to get out skiing for a few days early next week up in New England.

I still notice the injury every day, but it doesn't substantially interfere with daily life, it's mainly just that there's still a strength deficit. Like you, I would really like to get back to running, but they're telling me to wait another month. They have this pneumatic running harness thing that lets you run while it carries a portion of your weight. They were saying they might try me out on that soon.

I absolutely agree that weight management is one of the hardest things about this injury. My current plan is to get on a medically supervised weight loss program as soon as I can run again. I typically lose weight in the winter (skiing, etc) and put it on in the summer (BBQs and beers) but this year I obviously gained in the winter, so I don't want to lose too much ground. I did a full course of "Insanity" before getting injured, in hopes of being in top shape for the season, and put on 10lbs of muscle doing that. Then, while recuperating from surgery, I put on another 15 of fat (plus enough extra fat to make up the weight from all the atrophy) while injured, some of which came off when I got the bike, but as I rebuilt my gimpy leg back to its former tree-trunk-like glory, it was all I could do to keep the number from going up even more. It has been a serious struggle.

Good luck with the glacier skiing!

It's been a while. The wife is working today. Figured I'd check in.

They've declared that I no longer meet the "clinical criteria" for PT (i.e. kicked me out). I can do almost everything, except, of course, lose this damn weight. Before the injury I was running 25-30 miles a week, and now I can do maybe 5 miles, twice a week, while also filling in with the bike. It's not exactly super cool. Looking forward to the ski season this year, although I've been slowly coming around to accepting that it's probably never going to be like it was. That said, I've been thinking about maybe working with a trainer to try and regain some ground.

Need a new TGR flick to get amped :)

Hope @smitty3063 is doing well.

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I am really sorry for what happened to you in that manner. A friend of mine was out on vacation with his family and did also attempted for the very first time. Did got injured very badly. As for now he takes necessary precaution measures while traveling, hiking and skeing.

I tore my right AT three weeks ago during skitouring.
We had zero sight while skiing down.
I had the feeling that the ground before me was somehow higher, but I guessed that it was a minor bump and I could ski over it.
Actually it was a real snow wall and I crashed into it before realising what was going on.
The binding indeed released (Dynafit Vertical ST at some 7)
I didn't feel much except a strain in the calf and my greatest fear was a muscle tear.
Once down I couldn't walk normally but I drove some 3h without issues.
Next day I went to an ortho which promptly failed to recognise the problem.
9 days later I went back to him and again(!) he told me just to be patient and take some pain killer.
After another week and some research, including this thread, I was quite sure that I torn the AT.

Last Monday I went to a second ortho who had no pain confirming what I suspected and scheduled me for surgery three days later i.e. tomorrow.
Today I did an MRT and discussed everything with ortho/surgeon and anaesthetist.

I was wearing Dynafit zZero4.
With stiffer boots I'm quite sure that this wouldn't have happen.

As soon as back on-line I will probably tour with the Cochise 130.

For the records: I currently live in Munich (Germany)

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Originally Posted by PNB

I tore my right AT three weeks ago during skitouring.
We had zero sight while skiing down.
I had the feeling that the ground before me was somehow higher, but I guessed that it was a minor bump and I could ski over it.
Actually it was a real snow wall and I crashed into it before realising what was going on.
The binding indeed released (Dynafit Vertical ST at some 7)
I didn't feel much except a strain in the calf and my greatest fear was a muscle tear.
Once down I couldn't walk normally but I drove some 3h without issues.
Next day I went to an ortho which promptly failed to recognise the problem.
9 days later I went back to him and again(!) he told me just to be patient and take some pain killer.
After another week and some research, including this thread, I was quite sure that I torn the AT.

Last Monday I went to a second ortho who had no pain confirming what I suspected and scheduled me for surgery three days later i.e. tomorrow.
Today I did an MRT and discussed everything with ortho/surgeon and anaesthetist.

I was wearing Dynafit zZero4.
With stiffer boots I'm quite sure that this wouldn't have happen.

As soon as back on-line I will probably tour with the Cochise 130.

For the records: I currently live in Munich (Germany)

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Good luck. You'll heal back up just fine with proper PT and motivation.

BTW - it takes about 20 seconds to diagnose an achilles rupture. Any idiot who can squeeze your calf muscle can do it for you

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Originally Posted by sierraskier

Good luck. You'll heal back up just fine with proper PT and motivation.

BTW - it takes about 20 seconds to diagnose an achilles rupture. Any idiot who can squeeze your calf muscle can do it for you

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Thanks!
I already look forward to the next season.
Yes, I know meanwhile of the Thompson test and that's why I realized what my problem was/is and went straight to the 2nd ortho.

When I tore mine I was in flexons with a #10 tongue. Plenty stiff, but I think it's probably possible to overcome the stiffest boots resistance in certain situations.

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Originally Posted by Shorty_J

When I tore mine I was in flexons with a #10 tongue. Plenty stiff, but I think it's probably possible to overcome the stiffest boots resistance in certain situations.

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I wonder if this is more or just the case for 3-pieces shoes - i.e. with tongue?
At least some models, despite tiff, are known to collapse after a given limit is reached.
TLT 5 for one.
I never heard such a thing about shoes with overlapping construction.

OP Day +2
Meanwhile I found a used bike trainer (the sort where I can put a race bike on) to help rehab ASAP and I will use the chance to learn to swim properly.

I tore my Achilles in a bd factor 130, old model, overlap, but I do think that it was kind of soft

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Originally Posted by rod9301

I tore my Achilles in a bd factor 130, old model, overlap, but I do think that it was kind of soft

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That's bad.
May I ask, how it happened?

I'd quite love to feel sort of safe, as soon as I will ski again.

Steep couloir, on my first turn, I hit a patch of ice, couldn't hold an edge, and started tumbling backwards. I tumbled for 600 vertical feet until the slope lessened and I was able to stop.
Then a 6 mile ordeal to get to the car.

Reason for edges not holding:
I have cants under my bindings, 3 degrees on the left, 1/2 on the right.
I mistakenly switched skis before I started down.

That left me with no edge on left ski.
I remember thinking"why tf I can't turn to the right???"

Then, as I was approaching at high speed the edge of the couloir, I over rotated and lost the tails.

Probably too much information, but you asked.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rod9301

Probably too much information, but you asked.

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Thanks for sharing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5bIW882OR8

For the benefit of those who may not have caught the Kids in the Hall Reference. Hadn't thought of those guys in years.

I ruptured my left Achilles on March 4 while skiing Sun Valley.
I had Achilles repair surgery on March 9 in Bend, OR.
My appt to get current splint/cast off and into walking boot is scheduled for March 23.
I plan to ski again beginning next season 18/19.

This event was dominantly related to my dumb decisions. I was skiing knee deep fresh pow over dirt/rock (no base underneath pow on this slope). This occurred during my 4th lap skiing this slope, and was gonna be our last run just before taking a lunch break. I went a bit harder than my previous 3 lines and exploded on a rock mid turn at speed near the end of my run. The right ski came off instantly, left ski didn’t release and went for a ride with me over the handlebars in a forward launch face first into pow. Immediately my left ankle hurt like hell. I clicked out of left binding with my wife’s help, as I thought I had sprained my ankle or broke something.

I then found the right ski within a few minutes of crawling around in pow. I clicked back into both skis and traversed out of this pow field onto a groomer, then side slipped down to a chairlift and rode the chairlift up, hobbled over to the gondola and rode the gondola down to base area, and then filled out a patrol report once sitting in a wheelchair.

My wife picked me up in our camper van and took me to the Ketchum ER.
I got the left boot hot with the van's propane heater and removed the boot during the drive to the hospital. They took x-rays and performed Thompson test, put me in a splint while selling me crutches.
My wife drove me to Boise that night where we stayed with some friends, then home to Bend the next day. I was able to get an ortho appointment the following day, which is how I got into surgery so quickly.

The unfortunate accomplices:
Salomon Ghost 130 boots
2011 ON3P Wrenegade 181cm (113mm underfoot)

@gepmeow: I'm curious... What part of the situation do you "blame" for your injury? In my case, I was being a dumbass and was skiing around with my boots unbuckled. For instance, I'm wondering if you would say that your rear binding was set too high? Or was it just 'bad luck'?

Ian

I was skiing too aggressively through a pow field which I knew had hidden features beneath (rocks, stumps) which the pow surface would not allude to visually. There was literally no base under this pow, just dirt, rocks, and stumps.

That sucks. Good luck in your recovery.

I’ve thought about all those times that I’ve skied in marginally thin conditions and was taking a bigger chance than I might have thought.


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Bump
Saturday, 4/6, Mt Bachelor. Snowing hard, low viz and windy. Charging on hardpacked snow which turned intro a few inches of dense windpack. Got bucked, couldn't recover and went over the bars. Lost right ski. Unlike Gepmeow and others here, there wasn't intense pain - I could feel something swelling but otherwise seemed OK. Retrieved the ski, clicked back in, first turn on right leg I knew something was wrong. Toboggan to lift base, snow machine to clinic where my right leg flunked the Thompson Test.

Skis were ON3P wren 88s; boots were Lange RX130s with an incredibly tight heel pocket. Getting the boot off in the clinic was fun...

Saw the surgeon's PA this AM. Xrays say not only did I completely rupture the tendon, I managed to tear some bone off the heel when it ripped (aka avulsion fracture). I don't do anything half-assed.

That said, they think they can have me bearing weight on that leg two weeks after surgery. Instead of starting out with toes pointed down and increasing angle to 90 degrees over 6 weeks, they're gonna set the foot at 90 degrees right off the bat. Weaving in some sort of wire mesh to assist reattachment.

Gepmeow (see above) brought me his KneeRover scooter and an iWalk pegleg to assist mobility. Which is a godsend, since I'm a danger to myself and others on crutches. :yourock:

And as he did with me 13 mos ago, I loaned him a pair of skis for balance of season.

Surgery Wednesday 4/10.

Update -
Two week post op visit, got first look at their handiwork
Attachment 279911
They decided the wound was still a little too angry so won't remove stitches for another week.
Was having substantial nerve pain - like getting stabbed with 1000 hot needles - so Dr gave me a gabapentin scrip. This stuff knocks you the fuck out

On the upside, they tell me there's no reason I can't start weight bearing and exercises next week. Heel was set at slightly less than 90* angle (toe to leg) so don't have to endure as much tendon stretching. I can sort of gimp around without too much pain, so long as I don't pressure the front of the boot cuff.

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Originally Posted by TBS

so long as I don't pressure the front of the boot cuff.

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Wait-a-minute... So, you can get that into a ski boot?

Good to see that things are progressing and that you are on the mend.

Attachment 279924
Pretty stiff flex with the aluminum stiffeners on each side, but the heel pocket isn't well formed and its kind of sloppy in the forefoot. I've still managed to overstretch the tendon a couple of times :eek:

You should try an intuition liner and a custom footbed in that boot. What’s your din?

My heel is so sore now that a liner would be agony

Will def use the footbed out of my touring boots once I’m weight bearing and the shim comes out of the boot base.

I’m guessing the din on my Achilles is <= 8.5 since my clamps were set at 9.

Glad to hear step 1 is done... PT that thing & you’ll be back to irritating lifties in no time

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Originally Posted by sierraskier

I was also in Krypton Pros when I did mine and think that you're onto something. Seems like it would be physically/mechanically impossible to tear an achilles tendon in a boot without the boot folding significantly. Although in my case, the ski punched into the snow almost up to the binding as I was going over the tips, essentially keeping the ski stationary. I'm pretty sure that mine was done more because of extreme hyper-extension than from your typical achilles injury (loading up the tendon and then sudden force/push-off). Either way they both have the same net effect: extreme sudden force stretch concentrated on the achilles/calf resulting in POP!

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wow do I feel lucky>that's a tough spot to heal, demands surgery most times-which is not an option for everyone financially since Obamacare took costs over the handlebars

I did a stretch type injury too.. that can happen at low speed!

I was geekin on some steep ice , when I used to think I was bullet proof; bad choice of skis,riding the wide slight rockers>right over the tips when I fumbled one turn..it was funny >I laughed as I skid upside down.

Then my tail caught a bad angle due to the pack on my back.

Laughing went quickly to the dreaded ''no no no'' as my Calf Muscle popped.(hamstring was pretty bloody too above the knee) If I was goin faster Knee woulda went too ,I felt it almost dislocate..is what forced me to lift that ski out of the angle that was grabbing the tail, even though I was messed up by then.

Just enough strength to pull that rear tip dragging up, before my leg totally was splintered.

-yea at a freakin 5mph crash>unbelievable really ,after a few those huge cartwheels we all have done and came out o k .

I see reading ,those stiff boots I wear, saved the tendon below the calf!

I saw you can heal a muscle if its not more than 94 % torn >so fk the doctor, I had some tiny movement in there still. & I only tore upper calf because of the boots ,I imagine.

I just alternated heat /cold ,elevate.. slap a brace on, to be able to limp to the bathroom. I probably should bought crutches for the 1st few weeks of that recovery!

I hope your recovery goes well !!!