Atypical coronal or sagittal Z ruptures of the achilles tendon: a report of four cases.

A typical rupture of Achilles tendon occurs as a complete rupture about 4-6 cm proximal to its insertion to the calcaneus. The morphology of the tear is most often random without any distinct recognizable pattern. The authors describe four cases of atypical "Z" rupture of the Achilles tendon. In two, the orientation of the "Z" was in the coronal plane and other two in the sagittal plane. All four cases were treated by open repair.