Injury Insights: Dr. Ramos and Zach Bye Discuss Matt Henningsen’s Second Achilles Tear
The Achilles has a memory… and apparently a grudge
In this edition of Injury Insights, Dr. Joseph Ramos examines the devastating injury to Denver Broncos defensive lineman Matt Henningsen, who tore his opposite Achilles tendon roughly 365 days after suffering his first Achilles tear. Dr. Ramos explains that this kind of injury is unfortunately not as unlikely as it might seem, with medical literature indicating that about 10% of athletes who tear one Achilles will eventually tear the other.
Rehabilitation can place significant demands on the previously healthy leg as an athlete compensates for the injured side. Dr. Ramos explains how that increased workload may contribute to microscopic damage and underlying tissue breakdown, and why Henningsen’s second recovery could be especially challenging as he rehabilitates a new Achilles injury while the other tendon may still be recovering.
Key Insights
- Achilles Aftershock: About 10% of athletes who tear one Achilles will eventually tear the other.
- The Healthy Leg Hustle: Rehabilitation can force the opposite leg to absorb extra stress and workload.
- Microdamage Matters: Repeated stress can create microscopic damage and underlying breakdown in a heavily used tendon.
- A Double Rehab: Henningson now faces recovery from a fresh Achilles tear while his first injured tendon may still be healing.
- Genetics Play a Part: Blood flow, tissue quality and genetically tight tendons may influence recovery.
- Long Road Back: Dr. Ramos does not expect Henningson to return to the Broncos this season.
- Devastating Timing: Henningson’s second Achilles tear came just one year after his first, making an already difficult injury even more challenging.
