Tendons are also tough cords, but they have a little more give than ligaments. As a muscle contracts, the attached tendon pulls the bone into movement. Think of ...What’stheDifferenceBetweenLigamentsandTendons?MedicallyreviewedbyGregoryMinnis,DPT—WrittenbyDonnaChristiano—UpdatedonSeptember18,2018FunctionSprainsvs.strainsTreatmentPreventionOutlookOverviewLigamentsandtendonsarebothmadeupoffibrousconnectivetissue,butthat’saboutwherethesimilarityends.Ligamentsappearascrisscrossbandsthatattachbonetoboneandhelpstabilizejoints.Forexample,theanteriorcruciateligament(ACL)attachesthethighbonetotheshinbone,stabilizingthekneejoint.Tendons,locatedateachendofamuscle,attachmuscletobone.Tendonsarefoundthroughoutthebody,fromtheheadandneckallthewaydowntothefeet.TheAchillestendonisthelargesttendoninthebody.Itattachesthecalfmuscletotheheelbone.Therotatorcufftendonshelpyourshoulderrotateforwardandbackward.Readontolearnmoreaboutligamentsandtendons.Howdoligamentsandtendonswork?Youcanthinkofligamentsasrope,withaseriesoftough,intertwinedcordsthatbindbones.Ligamentsalsohavesomeelasticfibersthatallowthejointtomove,butnotsomuchthatitmovesbeyonditscapacity.Thekneejoint,forinstance,hasfourmajorligaments,oneoneachsideofthekneeandtwothatrundiagonallyacrossthefrontandbackofthekneecap.Theseligamentshelpstabilizethekneeandkeepitfrommovingtoofartotheleftorright,forwardorbackward.Tendonsarealsotoughcords,buttheyhavealittlemoregivethanligaments.Asamusclecontracts,theattachedtendonpullstheboneintomovement.Thinkofwhathappenstoyourbicepwhenyoubendyourelbow.Tendonsalsohelpabsorbsomeoftheimpactmusclestakeastheyspringintoaction.Illustrationofligamentvs.tendonShareonPinterestWhatinjuriesarecommonlyseeninligamentsandtendons?LigamentWhenaligamentisoverstretchedortorn,itresultsinwhat’stechnicallyknownasasprain.Manysprainshappensuddenly,eitherfromafall,awkwardmovement,orblow.Sprainscommonlyhappenintheankle,knee,orwrist.Forexample,amisstepcancauseyoutotwistyourankleinanawkwardposition,snappingaligamentandcausingyou