Common cause of tendinitis?

• A. Acute trauma
• B. Bacterial infection
• C. Degenerative wear
• D. Repetitive overuse with minor injury

Answer: (D)

Tendinitis is most often driven by repetitive loading of a tendon, producing microtrauma that triggers an inflammatory response. When you perform a repetitive motion or suddenly increase your activity, small tears accumulate in the tendon; the body's repair process leads to inflammation, pain, and tenderness at the tendon. This pattern fits activities with repetitive use or incremental training changes, making repetitive overuse with minor injury the typical cause. Acute trauma can injure a tendon but usually causes a sudden strain or rupture rather than the gradual inflammatory tendinitis seen with overuse. Bacterial infection is not a common cause of tendinitis, and while degenerative wear can accompany tendon problems, the classic trigger for tendinitis is repetitive overuse with minor injury.