Tendon in Spanish

What does a tendon do?

MedlinePlus defines a tendon as a fibrous connective tissue that attaches muscle to bone and says a tendon serves to move the bone or structure. On its tendinitis page it puts the same idea in plainer words: tendons are flexible bands of tissue that connect muscles to bones, and they help the muscles move the bones.

Tendon or ligament?

The MedlinePlus illustration that defines the tendon defines the ligament next to it, and the difference is in what each one joins. A tendon attaches muscle to bone; a ligament attaches bone to bone and usually serves to hold structures together and keep them stable.

What it means

A tendon is a fibrous connective tissue that attaches muscle to bone. MedlinePlus adds that tendons may also attach muscles to structures such as the eyeball, and that a tendon serves to move the bone or structure. Its tendinitis page describes tendons as flexible bands of tissue that connect muscles to bones and help the muscles move the bones. The Real Academia Española dictionary defines the Spanish word, tendón, as an organ formed by bundles of fibrous tissue, shiny white in color and very resistant to traction, that usually join the muscles to the bones. Tendinitis is the severe swelling of a tendon; MedlinePlus says it usually happens after repeated injury to an area such as the wrist or ankle and causes pain and soreness around a joint.

Tendon in Spanish

Spanish term: Tendón
Gender and article: masculine: el tendón
Pronunciation: tehn-DOHN

Tendón is written with an accent on the ó; the plural that MedlinePlus en español uses, tendones, is written without one. The Real Academia Española dictionary enters the word as a masculine noun and gives its origin as "De tender": el tendón, un tendón. MedlinePlus en español defines tendons as "cuerdas resistentes de tejido que unen los músculos con los huesos" and, on its illustration page, as "tejido conectivo fibroso que une los músculos a los huesos."

The dictionary also enters the expression tendón de Aquiles (Achilles tendon), marked as anatomy: a thick, strong tendon that joins the heel with the calf. The swelling of a tendon is spelled the same in both languages, tendinitis, and MedlinePlus en español gives inflamación de los tendones as another name for that page. Other words from the same pages: músculos (muscles), huesos (bones), muñeca (wrist), tobillo (ankle), codo de tenista (tennis elbow), hinchazón (swelling) and fisioterapia (physical therapy).

Phrases for an appointment

What a patient or a clinician might say, in English and Spanish:

Who	English	Spanish
Patient	My elbow has been hurting for three weeks, especially when I lift things.	Me duele el codo desde hace tres semanas, sobre todo cuando levanto cosas.
Clinician	Do you repeat the same movement often at work or when you play sports?	¿Repite el mismo movimiento con frecuencia en el trabajo o cuando hace deporte?
Patient	Yes, I play tennis three times a week.	Sí, juego al tenis tres veces por semana.
Clinician	I am going to press around the joint. Tell me where it hurts.	Voy a presionar alrededor de la articulación. Dígame dónde le duele.
Clinician	The tendon may be swollen. This is called tendinitis.	Es posible que el tendón esté inflamado. Esto se llama tendinitis.
Patient	What is a tendon?	¿Qué es un tendón?
Clinician	A tendon is the tissue that connects a muscle to a bone.	Un tendón es el tejido que une un músculo con un hueso.
Patient	I had surgery on my Achilles tendon five years ago.	Me operaron del tendón de Aquiles hace cinco años.

In 9 languages

Language	Term
English	Tendon
Spanish (Español)	Tendón
Chinese (中文)	肌腱
Korean (한국어)	힘줄
Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt)	Gân
Filipino (Tagalog)	Litid (tendón)
Portuguese (Português)	Tendão
Thai (ภาษาไทย)	เอ็น
Japanese (日本語)	腱

Where you'll see it

chartclinic notesradiology reportdischarge summary

Related terms

Your right to an interpreter in the United States

If English is not your primary language and you have difficulty communicating in English, you may need an interpreter or a translated document when you visit a doctor or dentist, go to the emergency room or pick up a prescription. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights states that two federal laws, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, require programs that receive its funding to provide language access services free of charge.

You can ask when you make the appointment or at the front desk: "I need an interpreter, please." «Necesito un intérprete, por favor.»

More terms: Bones, joints and muscles

All terms in this area: Bones, joints and muscles — Huesos, articulaciones y músculos

Sources

This page is a language reference. It is not medical advice.