Off the Courts: Occupational “Tennis Leg”

Abstract

Objective: Injury to the gastrocnemius muscle (tennis leg) is a presenting complaint often associated with athletic pursuits. Despite that label, this form of injury is likely to be common to a variety of salaried and nonsalaried pursuits beyond sports. Method: We describe the presentation and management of two cases of “tennis leg” injury occurring in an occupational rather than athletic setting and review the relevant medical literature. Results: Partial tears of the medial insertion of the gastrocnemius tendon were documented in both cases, in the first through magnetic resonance imaging and in the second by ultrasound. Conclusion: Rupture of the tendon to the medial head of the gastrocnemius, the so-called “tennis leg” injury, should be considered as potentially work-related trauma, rather than taken to be solely a sports injury.