Tendons connect muscles to bones. They are made of strong, flexible bands of tissue that help your bones and joints to move when your muscles contract.
Sports injuries that affect the tendons are common in football, skiing, lacrosse, hockey, rugby, running, squash, and tennis. Most tendon injuries affect areas near joints and, although they can appear to happen suddenly, in most cases they are caused by a number of tiny tears to the tendon over a long period of time.