Tendon << TEHN duhn >> also called sinew << SIHN yoo >> , is a strong white cord that attaches muscles to bones. Muscles move bones by pulling on tendons. A tendon is a bundle of many tough fibers. Some tendons are round, others long or flat. One end of a tendon arises from the end of a muscle. The other end is woven into the substance of a bone. The tendon may slide up and down inside a sheath of fibrous tissue, as an arm moves in a coat sleeve. The tendon and sheath are held in place by connective tissue called ligaments. A cut tendon can be sutured (sewed) together. Healing may take six weeks or more.
