Tendons - Definition and Overview

A tendon or sinew is a tough band of fibrous connective tissue, attached on one end to a muscle and on the other to a bone. They are similar to ligaments except that ligaments join one bone to another.

Due to their poor blood supply, tendons and ligaments are very slow to heal if injured, and never regain their original strength. This is why dislocations are more likely to occur at joints that have been dislocated in the past.

The Achilles tendon is a particularly large tendon connecting the heel to the muscles of the calf. It is so named because the mythic hero Achilles was killed due to an injury at this spot.

Example Usage of Tendons