2017 Volume 20 Issue 2 Pages 16-21
Although AT disorders do not typically become severe, they occur frequently and are considered to be one of the disorders that are difficult to manage. Recently, several effective treatment methods were reported; however, there are currently no eff ective methods to prevent this disorder. The reason for this could be that the mechanism of the disorder itself is not completely understood. This is most likely why the incidence of AT disorders is very high and why preventive methods are not well-established. In recent years, attempts have been made to elucidate the mechanism for the occurrence of AT disorders based on past research, with much attention to the twisted structure of the AT as a cause. There are numerous studies from the past several decades concerning the twisted structure of the AT. Several studies have unanimously reported that ATs are composed of an insertion tendon where the medial head of the gastrocnemius, lateral head of the gastrocnemius, and the soleus muscle insert, exhibit twisted structures, and are all twisted in the lateral direction without exception. But, a consensus has yet to be reached in terms of the extent of twisting. In this paper, we introduce the anatomical studies that we have carried out in recent years as a basic research for the elucidation of the generation mechanism.
