Clinical History
This player had no previous recorded incidence of Achilles tendon problems. In February 2004 he was charging a ball down in a competitive Premier League rugby union game and upon landing spontaneously ruptured his right Achilles tendon. This was repaired surgically using a fibre wire and Vicryl. He was put in a short cast for eight weeks in 45 degrees of plantar flexion. Following this period he was given a brace and at this point he commenced his treatment. The treatment consisted of introducing into the tendon a uniform, cell calibrated micro-current with the duel purpose of mimicking the normal processes of electro-chemical signal transduction and amplifying mitochondria A.T.P synthesis, which has the reported effect to significantly increase tenocyte activity and hence the capacity and level of the regenerative process.
The aim of the treatment was to boost the production of type I collagen and accelerate the process of spatial fibrillar remodelling to reduce healing time and influence the normal and expected prognosis of Achilles tendon rupture in this type of subject.

Intensive physiotherapy was commenced which had as a priority to increase the range of movement in the tibio-talar joint which had been significantly reduced due to the shortening of the tendon and the length of time the ankle had been fixed in plantar flexion. This was affected to such a degree that a normal walking gait presented a significant problem. Regular musculo-skeletal ultrasound scans demonstrated that the tendon was healing exceptional well and as a result a more robust rehabilitation programme was adopted concentrating upon building the wasted medial gastrocnemius (using MBT boots), proprioception and mobility exercises.

By pre-season in June 2004 the player was gently running again and by mid-August played twenty minutes of a competitive game with no adverse effect. Two weeks and two games later the subject played a full game and has continued to play all scheduled games to this date (November 2004) with no recurrence of any symptoms. In November the player gained his first full international cap eight months following this severe injury.