Which body tissue connects muscle to bone?

It's easy to confuse tendons and ligaments, but these two connective tissues are not the same thing and actually perform different functions for the body. Tendons connect muscle to bone and ligaments connect bone to other bones.

Tendons are made up of dense collagen layers called fibrous connective tissue. These tough yet flexible bands of fibrous tissue attach the skeletal muscles to the bones they move. Essentially, tendons enable you to move; think of them as intermediaries between muscles and bones.

Although collagenous tissues are sturdy, when tendons receive force greater than their resistance capacity, injuries will result with the tearing and over-stretching of tissue. A strain, which refers to a “stretched or torn tendon” can develop over time or occur abruptly.

The healing process of tendon injuries involves three phases. In the first phase, inflammation at the injury site occurs and the growth of new blood vessels and collagen begins. In the second phase, the rapid reproduction of reticular fibers occurs at its maximum level, and in the final phase, remodeling occurs. New cells will differentiate into fibrous tissue and will eventually mature into a “scar-like tendon tissue.”