Mechanisms for ruptured Achilles tendons : women’s gymnastics

Sands, William A. (author), McNeal, Jeni R. (author), Penitente, Gabriella (author), Murray, Steven Ross (author), Stone, Michael H. (author), Bullock, Joshua B (author), Jemni, Monèm (author)

The purpose of this study was to characterize the unusual take-off techniques demonstrated during tumbling take-offs on a spring tumbling strip (STS) and to assess the potential causes of these techniques and their possible contributions to Achilles tendon ruptures. A survey study of women’s collegiate gymnasts showed an alarmingly high 17.2% prevalence of ruptured Achilles tendons (Bonanno, Cheng, Tilley, Abutalib, & Casey). Twelve highly trained female gymnasts from USA Gymnastics voluntarily participated. The take-off was captured (2D) via high-speed video (500 fps). An accelerometer (1D) was placed under the STS take-off position (1000 Hz). Reflective markers were placed on the toes, heels, ankles, knees, hips, torso center, shoulders, elbows, wrists, hands, and the apices of the head. Lower extremity angles were of primary interest. Two take-off trials were cross-correlated and analyzed. Results indicated an unusual and unexpected “secondary knee flexion” during take-off. Knee angle changes indicated that take-off actions were not simple eccentric knee flexion followed by concentric knee extension. The observed motions are heretofore undocumented. During the period from heel contact to heel departure, the gymnasts’ ankles reach extremes of dorsiflexion at approximately the same time that their knees are extending, and the STS reaches its lowest position of descent. We speculate that the gymnasts may be readjusting muscle stiffness, reacting to a sudden intermediate vibration of the STS, or showing an artefact of the rearward rotation of the entire body about the feet. The observed actions may contribute to Achilles tendon injury.

• Language: English
• Keywords: sport, tumbling take-off, injury, safety, gymnastics
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FŠ - Faculty of Sport
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2025
• Number of pages: Str. 355-372, 507
• Numbering: Vol. 17, iss. 3
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-183718
• UDC: 796.41
• ISSN on article: 1855-7171
• DOI: 10.52165/sgj.17.3.355-372
• COBISS.SI-ID: 272710915

Copyright

Podatek o licenci CC BY-SA 4.0 je naveden na pristajalni strani članka (glej zgoraj izvorni URL). (Datum opombe: 19. 6. 2026)

• Publication date in RUL: 19.06.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Science of gymnastics journal
• Publisher: University of Ljubljana Press, Slovenia (Založba Univerze v Ljubljani)
• ISSN: 1855-7171
• COBISS.SI-ID: 246418176

Licences

• License: CC BY-SA 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
• Description: This Creative Commons license is very similar to the regular Attribution license, but requires the release of all derivative works under this same license.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Mehanizem pretrganja ahilove tetive pri telovadkah

Abstract

Namen raziskave je bil opisati nenavadne tehnike odriva na vzmetni akrobatski stezi (ang. Spring tumbling strip – STS), ter oceniti možne vzroke teh tehnik in njihov morebitni prispevek k pretrganju ahilove tetive. Vprašalnik med telovadkami v univerzitetni ligi je pokazala zaskrbljujoče visok 17,2-odstotni delež pretrgane ahilove tetive (Bonanno s sod.). Prostovoljno je sodelovalo dvanajst vrhunskih telovadk iz organizacije USA Gymnastics. Odriv smo posneli z visokohitrostnim videom (500 sličic na sekundo) v dveh razsežnostih. Pod odrivnim mestom na STS je bil nameščen enorazsežni pospeškomer (1000 Hz). Odsevne označevalce smo namestili na prste na nogah, pete, gležnje, kolena, kolke, središče trupa, ramena, komolce, zapestja, dlani in vrh glave. V ospredju so bili koti spodnjih okončin. Dva poskusa odriva smo medsebojno primerjali z navzkrižnim ujemanjem in ju razčlenili. Rezultati so pokazali nenavadno in nepričakovano »ponovno upogibanje kolena« med odrivom. Spremembe kolenskega kota kažejo, da odriv ni bil preprosto sestavljen iz ekscentričnega upogiba kolena, ki mu sledi koncentrični izteg. Opažena gibanja do zdaj še niso bila opisana. V času od stika pete s podlago do odriva pete so bili gležnji telovadk močno upognjeni navzgor, približno hkrati pa so se kolena iztegovala in STS je dosegla najnižji položaj ugreznitve. Domnevamo, da so telovadke morda na novo uravnavale togost mišic, se odzvale na nenaden vmesni tresljaj STS ali pa gre za navidezni učinek zaradi zasuka celotnega telesa nazaj okoli stopal. Opažena dejanja lahko prispevajo k razjasnitvi poškodbe ahilove tetive.

• Keywords: šport, gimnastika, akrobatika, odriv, poškodba, varnost