Tendinopathy, a type of tendon disorder that results in pain, swelling, and impaired function. The pain is typically worse with movement. It most commonly occurs around the shoulder (rotator cuff tendinitis, biceps tendinitis), elbow (tennis elbow, golfers elbow), wrist, hip, knee (jumpers knee, popliteus tendinopathy), or ankle (Achilles tendinitis).Causes may include an injury or repetitive activities. Less common causes include infection, arthritis, gout, thyroid disease, diabetes and the use of Quinolone_antibiotic medicines. Groups at risk include people who do manual labor, musicians, and athletes. Diagnosis is typically based on symptoms, examination, and occasionally medical imaging. A few weeks following an injury little inflammation remains, with the underlying problem related to weak or disrupted tendon fibrils.Treatment may include rest, NSAIDs, splinting, and physiotherapy. Less commonly steroid injections or surgery may be done. About 80% of patients recover completely within six months. Tendinopathy is relatively common. Older people are more commonly affected. It results in a large amount of missed work. Signs and symptoms
Symptoms include tenderness on palpation, swelling, and pain, often when exercising or with a specific movement. Cause
Causes may include an injury or repetitive activities. Groups at risk include people who do manual labor, musicians, and athletes. Less common causes include infection, arthritis, gout, thyroid disease, and diabetes. Despite the injury of the tendon, there are roads to healing which includes rehabilitation therapy and/or surgery. Obesity, or more specifically, adiposity or fatness, has also been linked to an increasing incidence of tendinopathy.Quinolone antibiotics are associated with increased risk of tendinitis and tendon rupture.
Research
The use of a nitric oxide delivery system (glyceryl trinitrate patches) applied over the area of maximal tenderness was found to reduce pain and increase range of motion and strength.A promising therapy involves eccentric loading exercises involving lengthening muscular contractions. Other animals
Bowed tendon is a horsemans term for tendinitis (inflammation) and tendinosis (degeneration), most commonly seen in the superficial digital flexor tendon in the front leg of horses. Mesenchymal stem cells, derived from a horses bone marrow or fat, are currently being used for tendon repair in horses. References
External links
Questions and Answers about Bursitis and Tendinitis - US National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases