This book will be of considerable interest to students, practitioners (Doctors, Physiotherapists, and other health care professionals), and researchers who deal with the complex structure of tendons and the need to effectively address tendon disorders. The book is divided into three sections: (1) Basic Biology and Biochemical Markers; (2) Metabolic Disorders; and (3) Novel Therapies. The first section, devoted to the basic biology of tendons, is aimed at those individuals who want to gain basic information on tendons and the subsection on biochemical markers is chiefly aimed at researchers who are developing new studies within this field. The section on metabolic disorders is mainly directed at practitioners who desire to know how metabolic disorders can affect tendons in order to optimize treatment for their patients. Finally, the section on novel therapies is focused on some new treatment options within this field, and discussions regarding how management of tendon disorders needs to incorporate perspectives on current understanding of tendon metabolism.

Preface.- Part I Basic Biology and Anatomy.- Chapter 1. Tendon structure and composition - Thorpe, Screen.- Chapter 2. Blood supply - Kubu.- Chapter 3. Tendon Innervation - Karolinska/ Calgary.- Chapter 4. Tendon stem cells - J. Wang.- Chapter 5. Informing Stem Cell-Based Tendon Tissue Engineering Approaches with Embryonic Tendon Development - C. Kuo.- Chapter 6. Tendon cell signaling - A. Banes.- Chapter 7. Methods of assessing human tendon metabolism. - Kjaer, Magnusson.- Part II Tendon Disorders Associated with Altered Metabolism and Metabolic Disorders.- Chapter 8. Towards an understanding of the genetics of tendinopathy - September A.- Chapter 9. Tendons involvement in Congenital Metabolic metabolic disorders - Andia I.- Chapter 10. Hyperuricemia - Isabel Andia, Abate .- Chapter 11. Influence of Thyroid hormones on tendon homeostasis - Francesco Oliva.- Chapter 12. Sex hormones and tendon - Mette Hansen, M. Kjaer.- Chapter 13. Tendon Homeostasis in Hypercholesterolemia - Louis Soslowsky.- Chapter 14. How Obesity affects tendons - Michele Abate.- Chapter 15.- Does diabetes affect Tendon healing - A. Ahmed.- Chapter 16. Metalloproteinase changes in diabetes - Bento.- Chapter 17. How high glucose levels affect tendon homeostasis - Snedeker.- Chapter 18. Rehabilitation of tendon problems in patients with diabetes mellitus - A. Scott.- Chapter 19. Inflammation in tendon disorders - C. Speed.- Chapter 20. Deep venous thrombosis and tendon healing - E. Arverud.- Chapter 21. Drug induced tendon disorders - K. Knobloch.- Chapter 22. Glucocorticoid effects on tendon metabolism - Dean and Carr.- Chapter 23. Influence of Ageing on tendon homeostasis - Helen Birch, Clegg PD.- Part III Novel therapies that may affect tendon metabolism.- Chapter 24. Does platelet-rich plasma increase tendon metabolism? - de Vos.- Chapter 25.- Can shockwave therapy improve tendon metabolism? - Zwerver. Chapter 26.-Do dietary factors influence tendon metabolism? A. Scott.- Part IV Summary. - Chapter 27. General overview and summary of concepts - P. Ackermann, Dave Hart.