The Achilles tendon is located at the back of the ankle linking the calf muscle and the heel bone. It is the most massive and stiffest tendon in the body of a human being. When an individual contracts his/her muscles, the tendon tightens pulling the heel consequently allowing a person to point the toes or tiptoe. Usually, a rapture of the Achilles tendon may occur in two primary ways including the degeneration of the tendon or in case of an eccentric contraction that happens when the threshold force required to tear a tendon apart is met or surpassed. Understanding the genetic structure associated with the rapturing of the male and female Achilles tendon is fundamental to comprehending the difference in injury probability of the two genders.
The male Achilles tendon is significantly distinct from that of the female. Whereas male Achilles tendons are larger, the ones for female are stronger and significantly elastic when an individual is in motion. Muscle fiber is another aspect that differentiates male tendons from those of females. Male muscle fibers are larger as compared to those of females. Based on the properties discussed, it is apparent that the men Achilles tendons’ aspects are inferior to those of females rendering them susceptible to injuries as compared to women.
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"Genetics: Achilles Tendon".
Sex hormones is the other fundamental aspect that brings out the distinctiveness of the male and female Achilles tendon. Particularly, the female sex hormone does have a massive impact on the working of the tendon. Whereas a deficiency of female sex hormones does not have any considerable effect of the tendon strength, it results in the expansion of the calf muscle fiber as compared to that of a normal individual. In that way, it is evident that while sex hormones do not directly affect the strength of the tendon, they do impact on the structure of the Achilles tendons and the associated muscles.
The effect of sex hormones on soft tissues is also expounds the difference in the rapture of Achilles tendon between men and women. Female hormones such as estrogen and progesterone alter the gene expression of the Achilles tendon, in turn, affecting the soft tissues. During menstruation, women are expected to have elevated levels of estrogen hormone and consequently increasing the chances of rapturing their Achilles tendons. It shows that the use of contraceptives among women is likely to minimize females’ likelihood of injuries during their ovulation cycle.
Biomechanical differences is another approach that can be employed to elaborate the difference in the rapturing of the male and female Achilles tendons. An analysis of men reveals that those trained have bigger patellar tendon cross-sectional area as compared to those who are untrained. Nevertheless, an assessment of the female gender did not portray any difference between the trained and untrained women. In that way, it implies that men’s tendon have an ability to adapt to physical loading as compared to women and consequently can increase the synthesis of collagen and hypertrophy both of which are not apparent in women.
Overall, it is evident that whereas the male and female Achilles tendon are quite different concerning their origin and intersection, their mechanical operations and hierarchical structure that enables them to function remain similar. A rapture in the Achilles tendon can cause a severe injury that results in excruciating pain and may lead to a disability if it is more significant. The strength and size as well as hormonal and biochemical differences makes their vulnerability to rapture quite different. The structure of the males Achilles tendons renders them vulnerable to injury. Nevertheless, the possibility of increasing the patellar tendon cross-sectional area in men through training enhances their ability to adapt to physical loading.
