Dmark, sorry to bother you.

[glennb]

Can you recommend an Achilles brace? I have looked at the "Achillo Train", but there are also some less expensive ones. I'll ask my Doc. when I go back Tuesday, but I thought I'd ask your opinion since you know what we do. I really want to go to Loretta Lynns Oct. 21. August 23rd was my surgery. I've been stationary biking, swiming and mild exercising. Would you allow your patient to go back that early?

[DrMark]

Two months is a bit early but not unreasonable. Isn't an MX boot the ultimate brace for the ankle? I think so.

[glennb]

I'm really wanting to blame my new AXO RC5 boots, they're way stiff. On the sole, at the toe area, there's foot peg marks and the toe gaurd(chrome thing) the nails have backed out and the screws are missing from the bottom.

Making me think, I landed from the jump on my toes, Achilles blew, send my foot off the pegs, ripping off the metal toe gaurd.

Could it be the stiffness? I ride on the fronts of my feet(toes). If I have week tendons boots are not going to help that tendon stretching.

[DrMark]

Well you need to stretch the tendon. At eight weeks you should be on the calf raise machine doing the exercise in reverse, stretching the tendon.

I have the Alpine Star Tech 10 boots. I am pleased with them.

You know, a violent contraction of the gastrosoleus muscle causees the rupture, so really boots have no relevance to that mechinism of injury. They are just for protection from outside forces.

If you ride at Loretta Lynn's, ride easy.

[glennb]

If I was an Orthopedic Surgeon, I would have Tech 10's too. Dr. Dyer said, it was the firing of that muscle thats causes the rupture. I might just put some heel rises in my boots. I'll leave you alone. Thanks for the tips!

[DrMark]

The heel rises probably are a good ideal. Thanks for the thought.