A tendon injury is a condition in which you have irritated or damaged the tough fibres that connect muscle to bone. Most tendon injuries occur near joints, like the shoulder, elbow, knee, or ankle.

Doctors may use different terms to describe a tendon injury.

• Tendinitis means "inflammation of the tendon," but inflammation is rarely the cause of tendon pain.
• Tendinosis refers to tiny tears in the tissue in and around the tendon caused by overuse.
• Tendinopathy describes these two problems together.