Tendon disorders

• Tendon:

  • A cord that connects muscle to bone
  • Some but not all tendons are covered by a sheath called the synovium
  • Synovium makes an oily fluid that lies between the tendon and overlying sheath helping the tendon move more freely and smoothly
• Tendinopathy:

  • A term describing pain, swelling, and impaired function of a tendon, includes both:
  • Tendonitis - inflammation usually from injuries, overuse or strain
  • Tendinosis - chronic degeneration without inflammation. Tendon becomes thick and scarred. Usually due to failed healing of repeated minor injuries often with aging and associated with OA
• Tenosynovitis:

  • Inflammation of the synovial sheath that surrounds a tendon
• Some types of tendinopathy and tenosynovitis have characteristic symptoms and have their own name:

  •De Quervain’s tenosynovitis

  •Trigger finger

  •Tennis elbow

  •Golfers elbow

  •Achilles tendinopathy

  •Rotator cuff tendinopathy