Tendinopathy

Tendinopathy is the broad umbrella term used to describe pain and dysfunction in a tendon, regardless of the underlying pathology. It is the preferred clinical term because it does not assume the cause is inflammatory or degenerative.

Tendinitis (tendonitis) refers to an acute inflammatory condition of a tendon, usually occurring in the early stages after overload or injury. True inflammatory tendinitis is relatively uncommon and typically short-lived.

Tendinosis refers to chronic degenerative changes within a tendon, characterised by collagen disorganisation, increased ground substance and cellular changes, with little or no evidence of inflammation. It is often associated with persistent or longstanding tendon symptoms.

In summary:

• Tendinopathy = general term for a painful tendon condition.

• Tendinitis = tendon pain primarily driven by inflammation.

• Tendinosis = tendon degeneration and failed healing response with minimal inflammation.

Clinically, most chronic tendon conditions (e.g., Achilles, patellar or lateral elbow pain lasting months) are best described as tendinopathies, as they often involve a combination of degenerative, reactive and remodeling changes rather than pure inflammation.