Tendonitis

Tendonitis (also tenonitis or tendinitis) is an inflammationof a tendon. For example, patellar tendonitis(jumper's knee) is an inflammation of the patellar tendon, which connects the tibiato the patella.

Chronic overuse of tendons leads to microscopic tears within the collagen matrix, which gradually weakens the tissue. Swelling in a region of microdamage or partial tear can be detected visually or by palpation. Increased water content and disorganised collagen matrix in tendon lesionsmay be detected by ultrasonographyor magnetic resonance imaging.

Due to their highly specialised ultrastructure and slow collagen turnover, tendons and ligamentsare very slow to heal if injured, and rarely regain their original strength. Partial tears heal by the rapid production of disorganised type-III collagen, which is inferior in strength to normal tendon. Recurrence of injury in the damaged region of tendon is common.

Treatment of tendon injuries is largely palliative. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugscombined with rest and gradual return to exercise is a common therapy. Return to function may be accelerated by the injection of stem cells. Completely ruptured tendons may be sutured together with or without grafted material.

Achilles tendonitisis a common injury, particularly in sports that involve lunging and jumping.

A veterinary equivalent to Achilles tendonitis is bowed tendon, tendonitis of the superficial digital flexor tendon of the horse.

See also

• repetitive strain injury
• stenosing tenosynovitis
• tenosynovitis

External links

• Tendinitis/Bursitis provided by the American College of Rheumatology
• Books about relieving tendinitis
• eMedicine Health Tendinitis
• Overview on causes, treatment and avoidance

nl:Peesontsteking pt:Tendinite

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
It uses material from the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tendonitis Wikipedia article Tendonitis.