Several diseases can affect the tendons. According to MedlinePlus, damaged or injured tendons, which are thick bands of fibrous tissue that link muscles and bones, may require surgical repair, although many tendon injuries respond well to conservative care methods, such as physical therapy, manual therapies and home care exercises. Tendon diseases, if severe, can cause pain or discomfort and limit a person's activities of daily living.
Tenosynovitis
Tenosynovitis is a disease that's associated with tendons. According to the Mayo Clinic website, tenosynovitis, also known as de Quervain's tenosynovitis, is a painful inflammation of a person's tendons on the thumb side of his wrist. A person with de Quervain's tenosynovitis will often feel pain or discomfort with wrist turning and grasping or while making a fist. The Mayo Clinic website states that although the exact cause of de Quervain's tenosynovitis is unknown, activities that involve repetitive hand or wrist motions can contribute to the condition and make it worse. Common activities that can exacerbate de Quervain's tenosynovitis include the following: playing music, gardening, knitting, cooking and walking the dog, among many others. Common signs and symptoms associated with de Quervain's tenosynovitis include pain and swelling at the base of the thumb, difficulty maneuvering the thumb and wrist with pinching or grasping activities and a squeaking sound as the tendons move through their inflamed sheaths.
Achilles Tendinitis
Achilles tendinitis is a disease that's associated with tendons. The Sports Injury Clinic website states that Achilles tendinitis is responsible for about 11 percent of all running injuries and that the Achilles tendon is the large tendon at the back of the ankle that joins the calf muscles---the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles---to the heel bone, or calcaneus. The Achilles tendon provides the power in the propulsive phase of the walking or running gait cycle. According to the Sports Injury Clinic website, Achilles tendinitis is now called Achilles tendinopathy, because there's usually no inflammation present in people with Achilles tendon pain or discomfort. Instead, the principal finding in a person with Achilles tendinitis symptoms is degenerated tissue. Common causes of Achilles tendinitis or tendinopathy include the following: a significant increase in activity levels, reduced recovery time between bouts of exercise and a change of footwear or running surface.
Dupuytren's Contracture
Dupuytren's contracture is a disease that's associated with tendons. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, or AAOS, Dupuytren's contracture is a thickening of the fibrous tissue layer underlying the skin of a person's palm and fingers, and although it's painless, thickening of this fibrous layer can lead to finger curling, or flexion. The AAOS states that common symptoms associated with Dupuytren's contracture include one or more nodules---small, tender bumps---in the palm, tough bands of fibrous tissue under the palm's skin, and one or more fingers bent toward the palm. With Dupuytren's contracture, a person's palmar tissues thicken and shorten, which limits the movement of the tendons connected to the fingers. Dupuytren's contracture is more common in men than women and in people with northern European or Scandinavian heritage. There is no known cause of Dupuytren's contracture.
