Tenology: a new frontier.

Tendons were long given little recognition by rheumatologists. Yet, their complex structure and distinctive functional characteristics have been demonstrated by an abundance of histological, biochemical, and biomechanical studies: clearly, tendons are not inert cords linking muscles to bones. The current wave of popularity of sporting activities has brought with it an epidemic of disorders of the tendons, thus focusing attention on these structures. At the same time, modern imaging techniques (particularly magnetic resonance imaging) have allowed clinicians to improve their knowledge of and classification schemes fortendon disorders. Several risk factors, including technical factors, have been identified, so that preventive treatment is now as important as curative treatment. Culture systems for tenocytes (the specialized fibroblasts found in tendons) are now available and have been used to develop experimental models, paving the way for significant advances in tendon repair techniques.