Rupture of the Achilles tendon is a relatively common sports injury, often sustained during racquet sports such as badminton, tennis and squash. It is notoriously often missed, though if the possibility is considered in every "ankle" injury and appropriate clinical tests performed, most if not all ruptures would be diagnosed.
Opinion has fluctuated between surgical and non-surgical treatment, although there have been relatively few clinical trials. Modern practice has increasingly emphasised early functional rehabilitation, first after surgical repair and more recently as part of a non-surgical treatment programme. Functional rehabilitation probably makes more difference to the outcome of Achilles tendon rupture than whether or not a patient has an operation.
It appears that there is little if any difference between the overall outcomes of modern surgical and non-surgical treatment. Care can be individualised depending on patient preference.