Knowra Tendinopathy Tendinopathy Tendinopathy is a tendon disorder involving pain, impaired function, or structural change. It is often associated with repeated loading, though its causes and tissue changes vary.
Tendon : A tough connective tissue structure that attaches muscle to bone and transmits muscular force. Tendinopathy affects this tissue, whose structure and force-transmitting role shape the disorder.
Tendinopathy diagnosis : Clinical assessment of suspected tendon disorder using symptom history, examination, and sometimes imaging. Diagnosis usually rests on characteristic pain and function, not imaging findings alone.
Collagen : A family of structural proteins that provides tensile strength in connective tissues. Type I collagen is the principal structural protein in healthy tendon tissue.
Tendon rupture : A partial or complete disruption of tendon fibers that compromises tissue continuity. Rupture is a structural tear, whereas tendinopathy can involve pain and dysfunction without one.
Tendon remodeling : The process by which tendon tissue changes through collagen synthesis, breakdown, and reorganization. Altered remodeling can accompany tendinopathy, but structural change does not alone explain pain.
Tendon imaging : Imaging methods, including ultrasound and MRI, used to visualize tendon structure. Imaging can show structural changes, but these may also occur without symptoms.
Extracellular matrix : The network of molecules surrounding cells that provides structural and biochemical support to tissues. Changes in tendon matrix composition and organization are features of many tendinopathies.
Paratenonitis : Inflammation of the paratenon, a connective tissue layer surrounding certain tendons. It affects tissue around a tendon rather than describing the broad tendon disorder itself.
Mechanotransduction : The conversion of mechanical forces into biochemical signals that alter cell behavior. Tendon cells sense loading through these signals, influencing adaptation and tissue maintenance.
Eccentric exercise : Exercise in which a muscle lengthens while producing force. Eccentric loading is one rehabilitation approach, especially studied for Achilles and patellar tendinopathy.
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