Ligaments and Tendons: What's the Difference?

30 December 2025 2 min read

By: dr. Andito Wibisono, Sp.OT, Subsp. PL

The human body is composed of thousands of ligaments and tendons that connect one anatomical part to another. Ligaments and tendons are fibrous connective tissues that play a key role in stabilizing the body's skeleton and allowing movement. So, what's the difference between the two? Read the full article below!

Understanding Ligaments

Ligaments are strong, fibrous connective tissues that connect bones throughout the body. These crisscrossing bands of tissue are composed of dense bundles of collagen fibers, providing tensile strength.

Each person has approximately 900 ligaments spread throughout the body, from the fingers, neck, back, shoulders, elbows, hips, knees, and ankles. Ligaments primarily function to provide stability to bones and joints throughout the body. Furthermore, ligaments can also help limit the body's range of motion to prevent injury from excessive or abnormal movement.

Types of Ligaments

Ligaments vary in texture depending on the anatomical structures they support. Some ligaments are flexible, while others are firm. Here are the types of ligaments found in the human body:

Knee ligaments: anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), medial cruciate ligament (MCL), and lateral collateral ligament (LCL).
Elbow ligaments: ulnar-collateral ligament and lateral collateral ligament.
Shoulder ligaments: superior glenohumeral ligament, middle glenohumeral ligament, inferior glenohumeral ligaments, acromioclavicular ligament, the coracoclavicular ligaments
Ankle ligaments: lateral collateral ligament (LCL), alcaneofibular, the posterior talofibular ligaments, and medial collateral ligaments (MCL).
Hip ligaments: iliofemoral ligament (Y ligament of Bigelow), pubofemoral ligaments, and ischiofemoral ligaments.
Back ligaments: ligamentum flavum, facet capsular ligament, interspinous ligament, supraspinous ligament, intertransverse ligament, posterior longitudinal ligaments, and anterior longitudinal ligaments.

Understanding Tendons

Tendons are dense, regular connective tissues that attach muscles to bones. They are covered by endotenon (a type of tissue) that gives them a rope-like appearance and allows bundles of tendon fibers to move past each other to support body movement.

Tendons are found in movable joints in the body, such as the shoulders, elbows, wrists, fingers, hips, knees, ankles, toes, and even the jaw. The primary function of tendons is to facilitate body movement. Furthermore, tendons also prevent muscle injury by absorbing some of the impact the muscles receive when the body uses running, jumping, and other movements.

Types of Tendon Movements

Unlike ligaments, tendons are not classified based on the anatomical structure they support. Therefore, all tendons in the human body are simply called tendons. However, tendons can be classified according to the movements they perform, such as:

Flexion: bending a joint
Extension: straightening a joint
Abduction: moving an arm or leg sideways
Internal rotation: turning a limb toward the body
External rotation: rotating a limb away from the body
Dorsiflexion: pulling the foot up
Plantarflexion: pointing the foot down
Pronation: rotating the arm downward
Supination: rotating the arm upward

Ligament Injury

Injuries to ligaments will result in drastic changes in their structure and physiology. When a ligament is injured, the function of the ligament will be restored naturally by the formation of scar tissue which is biologically lower in strength and capacity than the original ligament.

Some examples of injuries that occur to ligaments include:

ACCL tear. The most common knee injury and ligament tear. Eighty percent of individuals who experience an ACL tear are caused by sports activities. This injury requires surgery to replace the torn ligament.
Knee sprain. An injury to the MCL or LCL, usually due to sports activities.
Elbow sprain. This injury commonly occurs in athletes who perform overhead throwing activities (such as baseball, javelin, tennis, volleyball, and water polo).
Hip dislocation. This injury to the ligamentum teres due to a traumatic fall. This commonly occurs in children and the elderly.
Ankle sprain. This injury to the ankle ligaments is commonly caused by sports activities.
Spinal ligament injury. This usually occurs after a traumatic event, such as a car accident. It can also be caused by back ligament sprains (due to excessive twisting of the limbs) or neck strain.

Tendon Injury

Tendon injuries can be categorized based on the part of the tendon involved. Examples include:

Achilles tendonitis. The Achilles tendon is the largest and strongest tendon in the body. This injury occurs due to physical activity, such as high-speed running, or can also be caused by a strained calf muscle.
Tibialis posterior tendon. The tibialis posterior tendon is a tendon that runs along the inside of the leg and under the arch of the foot. Tears of the tibialis posterior tendon are usually caused by trauma such as a fall or overuse of the tendon.
Patellar tendon. The patellar tendon is a tendon that runs from the bottom of the kneecap (patella) to the top of the shinbone (tibia). Injuries to the patellar tendon are usually caused by sports activities such as running and jumping.
Rotator cuff tendon. The rotator cuff is a group of four muscles that help move and stabilize the shoulder joint. Injuries to the rotator cuff tendon are usually caused by overuse.

Based on the explanation above, the differences between ligaments and tendons lie in the anatomy of the body to which they are attached, their additional functions, and the injuries that involve both tissues. If you are experiencing discomfort in any movable part of your body or have recently been in an accident, you can visit Premier Bintaro Hospital and consult with the top-rated orthopedic doctors at our Orthopedic Center.

Orthopedic doctors at Premier Bintaro Hospital can treat a variety of conditions related to the body's skeleton, from minor ailments to the need for surgical intervention due to problems with ligaments, tendons, or other organs of the musculoskeletal system.