A tendon injury means that you have irritated or damaged the tough fibers 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.

This means “inflammation of the tendon,” but inflammation is rarely the cause of tendon pain.

Tendinosis.

This refers to tiny tears in the tissue in and around the tendon caused by overuse.

Tendinopathy.

This describes these two problems together.