Clinical History
Participating in a Premier League rugby union game this 35-year-old prop forward player 95% ruptured his right Achilles tendon. On May 3rd he was operated employing a technique that plaited the plantaris tendon into the Achilles tendon. There was evidence of a significant degree of degenerative pathology so the two ends of the damaged Achilles tendon were surgically separated prior to the repair.

A two-week period in a short cast was followed by two weeks in an Air Cast boot. Unfortunately, in a rush to answer his mobile phone whilst undergoing some light exercise in the gym, the player burst the stitches and was back in a cast for four weeks. This was 'accident' occurred on the 11th June. Holes were cut in the cast for the purpose dual purpose of being able to apply a micro-current treatment to the tendon and also to apply electrodes so that a muscle stimulator may be used. The Synapse micro-current treatment applied to this player was the same as that used for the other case studies.

When the cast was removed the use of the muscle stimulator (Compex) ensured that muscle atrophy was kept to a minimum. Rehabilitation was commenced immediately, which involved mobilising the ankle, working on the tightness of the calf muscles and proprioception exercises. By mid September the player was re-scanned using ultrasound and healing appeared to be progressing at a good rate. At this point the player started jogging. In addition, due to the nature of the pathology it was decided to carry out another two weeks treatment using the same treatment parameters as the original.

In October the player played twenty minutes of a reserve game and had no adverse reaction. A further period of training and conditioning resulted in the player successfully playing a complete eighty-minute game on October 30th four and a half months after the second injury. To date this player continues to play with no adverse effects.