What you need to know about muscle and tendon repairs

A muscle and tendon injury refers to damage or trauma that affects the muscle tissue or the tendons, which are the fibrous connective tissues that attach muscles to bones. These injuries can vary in severity and may occur suddenly due to an acute event or develop gradually over time due to repetitive stress or overuse.

Several factors and conditions can lead to the need for muscle and tendon repair:

• Trauma

• Overuse

• Degenerative conditions

• Sports injuries

• Workplace injuries

• Autoimmune disorders

• Genetic factors

• Poor posture and mechanics

• Infections

• Previous surgeries or procedures

How to prevent muscle injuries with exercises

• Dynamic stretching: Perform dynamic stretches that involve controlled movements through a full range of motion. Examples include leg swings, arm circles, or walking lunges. Dynamic stretching helps increase blood flow, improve flexibility, and prepare the muscles and tendons for activity.

• Foam rolling: Use a foam roller to perform self-myofascial release techniques on targeted muscles and tendons. Roll slowly over areas of tension or tightness, focusing on major muscle groups such as the quadriceps, hamstrings, calves, and IT bands. Foam rolling helps release knots, improve circulation, and reduce muscle stiffness, reducing the risk of injury during exercise.

• Joint mobilization: Perform gentle joint mobilization exercises to increase mobility and lubrication in the joints. Examples include wrist circles, shoulder rolls, or ankle circles. Joint mobilization helps improve joint flexibility, reduce stiffness, and optimize movement patterns, which can help prevent strain on muscles and tendons during activity.

• Activation exercises: Engage in activation exercises to activate and strengthen key muscle groups that support the joints and stabilize movement. Examples include glute bridges, clamshells, or band walks. Activation exercises help activate dormant muscles, improve neuromuscular control, and enhance stability, reducing the risk of compensatory movements and overuse injuries.

Muscle or tendon injury treatment options

Surgical treatment options for muscle and tendon repair

• Arthroscopic surgery: A minimally invasive procedure where a small camera and instruments are inserted through small incisions to repair damaged muscles or tendons within a joint.

• Open surgery: Traditional surgery involving larger incisions to directly access and repair the injured muscle or tendon.

• Tendon transfer surgery: Involves transferring a healthy tendon from another part of the body to replace a damaged or ruptured tendon, restoring function.

• Tenodesis: Surgical procedure where a damaged tendon is anchored to a nearby bone to stabilize a joint and restore function.

• Tendon grafting: Involves using a graft from a donor or from the patient's own tissue to replace a damaged tendon.

• Rotator cuff repair surgery: Specifically addresses tears or injuries to the rotator cuff tendons in the shoulder through various techniques such as arthroscopic or open repair.

• Ligament reconstruction surgery: Repairs or replaces torn or damaged ligaments, which can also involve muscle and tendon repair depending on the injury.

• Fasciotomy: Surgical procedure to release tight or constricted fascia, the connective tissue surrounding muscles and tendons, to relieve pressure and restore blood flow.

• Tendon release surgery: Involves releasing tight or constricted tendons to improve mobility and reduce pain, often used in conditions like tendonitis or carpal tunnel syndrome.

• Muscle flap surgery: In cases of severe muscle damage or loss, a flap of healthy muscle tissue is moved from one area of the body to another to repair the damaged site and restore function.

Non-surgical solutions for muscle and tendon repair

• Physical therapy: Utilizes targeted exercises, stretches, and manual therapy techniques to strengthen muscles, improve flexibility, and promote healing of injured tendons.

• Rest and immobilization: Involves avoiding activities that aggravate the injury and immobilizing the affected area with splints, braces, or casts to allow the muscles and tendons to heal properly.

• Orthotic devices: Custom orthotic devices such as shoe inserts or braces can provide support and alignment to reduce stress on injured muscles and tendons during daily activities.

• Ultrasound therapy: Uses high-frequency sound waves to stimulate blood flow, reduce inflammation, and promote tissue healing in damaged muscles and tendons.

• Shockwave therapy: Delivers acoustic waves to the affected area to stimulate cellular repair and regeneration, often used to treat chronic tendon injuries like Achilles tendonitis.

• Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) therapy: Involves injecting concentrated platelets from the patient's own blood into the injured area to accelerate healing and promote tissue regeneration.

• Prolotherapy: Injection-based therapy that involves injecting a solution, often containing dextrose or other irritants, into the injured tendon or ligament to stimulate a localized inflammatory response and promote tissue repair.

• Topical treatments: Creams, gels, or patches containing anti-inflammatory medications, analgesics, or other therapeutic agents may be applied directly to the skin over the injured area to reduce pain and inflammation.

• Electrotherapy: Techniques such as transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) or electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) may be used to alleviate pain, improve muscle strength, and enhance circulation in the affected muscles and tendons.

• Manual therapy: Hands-on techniques such as massage, myofascial release, or joint mobilization performed by a skilled therapist can help alleviate muscle tension, improve range of motion, and promote tissue healing.