People mix up ligaments and tendons constantly, but they’re different tissues, and a tear in one is repaired very differently from a tear in the other. Both are common in active people. The Achilles alone accounts for 10.7% of all tendon and ligament injuries, and most of those ruptures happen during sports.
If you’re facing surgery for a foot or ankle injury, knowing whether you need ligament reconstruction or tendon repair gives you a clearer picture of the procedure and the recovery that follows.
Athletes throughout Mission Viejo, California, turn to the surgical team at Aloha Foot and Ankle Associates for ligament and tendon repairs designed around getting back to competition.
Ligaments connect bone to bone. They hold your joints together and keep them from moving in ways they shouldn’t. Tendons connect muscle to bone, transferring the force your muscles generate so your joints can move.
In the foot and ankle, ligaments keep the ankle stable when you change direction, while tendons like the Achilles power the push-off behind every sprint and jump. The damaged structure helps point to the type of surgery you need.
Ligaments that have been stretched and damaged over time lose their hold on the joint, which is why some athletes feel their ankle give out during routine movement.
Ligament reconstruction rebuilds that stability. Depending on the damage, your surgeon either repairs the existing ligament or uses a tissue graft to replace it, anchoring the new tissue to bone so the joint holds firm again.
Tendon repair restores a tendon’s ability to move the joint. With a full Achilles rupture, your surgeon brings the torn ends back together or secures the tendon onto the bone, frequently relying on anchors for a firm, durable connection.
If the tendon is too far gone to sew back together, options include adding a graft or borrowing a neighboring tendon to do the work instead. Whichever route your surgeon takes, the finished repair needs to withstand the heavy, repeated loads of sport.
Which procedure you need depends on the type of tissue involved and the severity of the tear, so a precise diagnosis comes first. Before settling on an approach, your surgeon weighs:
MRI and other imaging clarify the extent of the damage, but it’s hands-on experience treating active patients that connects the diagnosis to the right surgical plan.
A foot that works fine for walking around isn’t necessarily ready for the cutting, sprinting, and jumping that an active lifestyle demands. Surgeons who routinely treat active patients plan each procedure around those demands, from the fixation they use to the rehab timeline they set.
That approach guides how our providers handle every ligament and tendon repair, keeping your return to activity in view from the first decision.
When rest, bracing, and physical therapy haven’t resolved a ligament or tendon injury, surgery may be the next step. Our team can assess the damage and walk you through which surgical approach fits your injury and your goals. Give our Mission Viejo office a call at 949-364-2525, or use our online booking tool to schedule a consultation.
