Collagen for Healing an Achilles Tendon

An Achilles tendon tear or rupture can be one of the most debilitating injuries to the body and can severely hamper a person's ability to walk. Proper healing of the area requires certain precautions be taken at the outset. Ongoing healing processes may rely heavily on specialized exercises designed to ensure proper repair of the tendon.

Achilles Tears and Ruptures

• The Achilles tendons are the largest tendons in the body, with each one bearing half the body's weight in all forms of upright movement. Tears are often the result of strain or overwork and can take considerable time to heal. A ruptured Achilles can sideline an individual for as long as a year, even with proper treatment and care. Once healed, it's not uncommon for tendon fibers to develop scar tissue and remain more delicate than they were before the injury, according to Medical Engineer. Tendinopathy is a condition in which the tendon repair process leaves the area weakened and prone to re-injury as a result. Collagen production processes play a significant role in how well an Achilles tendon heals. Fortunately, there are steps that can be taken to promote the healing process so tendon fibers can regain their original strength and flexibility.

Healing Process

• According to the "Journal of Foot and Ankle Research," the healing process of an Achilles tendon consists of three overlapping phases. Collagen production processes employ two types of collagen during different healing phases---type I and type III. The first 24 hours after an injury is marked by the body's immune system response as inflammation forms within the area. At this point, type III collagen production begins. Type III is an immature form of collagen that conforms to the shape and condition of the injured area. Within a few days after an injury, phase two of the healing process begins. Type III collagen production continues within this phase for approximately six weeks. During this time, tendon fibers begin to align themselves according to how the area is mobilized, or exercised. As type III collagen production decreases, type I collagen production begins. Type I is a mature form of the material that firms up the existing repair materials and solidifies the injured tendon. The likelihood of scar tissue forming may depend on how the area was used during the healing process.

Movement

• A slow, progressive exercise routine continued throughout the course of healing can help train developing tendon fibers and encourage proper healing, according to the "Journal of Foot and Ankle Research." Movement exercises that incorporate a gradual lengthening or stretching of the Achilles tendon during the second and third phases of the healing process can strengthen tendon fibers and enable proper fiber alignment to occur. In effect, a gradual exercise reoutine in which the tendon is stretched and challenged can help restore the area to its original strength.