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Achilles Tendon Bursitis
Aka: Achilles Tendon Bursitis, Achilles Bursitis, Superficial Calcaneal Bursitis, Pump-Bump, Retrocalcaneal Bursitis
- Epidemiology
- Middle aged and older adults
- Predisposing factors
- Overuse injury in athletes
- Low cut shoes
- Anatomy
- General
- Two bursae located near achilles tendon insertion
- Superficial Calcaneal Bursa (Pump-Bump)
- Located over achilles tendon
- Irritated by constant rubbing by shoe
- Associated with thin heel pad
- Retrocalcaneal bursa
- Located under achilles tendon
- Irritated by Calcaneus
- Prominent posterosuperior angle (Haglund's Disease)
- Symptoms
- Heel Pain with swelling and erythema
- Pain exacerbating factors
- Worse at the beginning of activity (e.g. walking)
- Wearing shoes may worsen pain
- Painful limp may develop
- Signs
- Inflammation at achilles tendon insertion on Calcaneus
- Images

- Differential Diagnosis
- See Heel Pain
- Imaging
- Indicated only in refractory cases
- Haglund's Deformity
- Bone spur on superior Calcaneus
- Calcified distal achilles tendon
- Management
- General Measures
- Heel pads
- NSAIDs
- Alternate Ice Therapy with heat therapy
- Consider wearing sandals (open back)
- Elevation of shoe heel with soft cushion
- Corticosteroid Injection not recommended
- Exercise caution in local steroid injections here
- Risk of Achilles Tendon Rupture or weakening
- Surgery for refractory cases
- Bursa and bony prominence resection
- References
- Mazzone (2002) Am Fam Physician 65(9):1805-10 [PubMed]
- Van Wyngarden (1997) Am Fam Physician 55(6):2207-12 [PubMed]