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I wonder what the lifetime incidence is for tendinopathy for regular humans (e.g., not only athletes).

What I have found so far:

I found the lifetime incidence for Achilles tendinopathy in {1}:

The cumulative lifetime incidence of Achilles tendinopathy was reported as 52% among elite runners compared to 6% in the general population.

I'm looking for the lifetime incidence for any tendinopathy (e.g., not only Achilles tendinopathy).

References:

  • {1} Florit D, Pedret C, Casals M, Malliaras P, Sugimoto D, Rodas G. Incidence of Tendinopathy in Team Sports in a Multidisciplinary Sports Club Over 8 Seasons. J Sports Sci Med. 2019 Nov 19;18(4):780-788. PMID: 31827363; PMCID: PMC6873129.
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My estimate is ~25% of lifetime incidence for tendinopathy in the general population based on the following 2 studies.

  1. The lifetime incidence for Achilles tendinopathy in 6% in the general population {2}.

  2. The presentation {1} mentions the yearly symptomatic tendinopathy incidence for the most typical sites of tendon injuries:

    • Achilles: 2.35/1,000 {1}
    • Patellar: 1.6/1,000 {1}
    • Adductor: 1.22/1,000 {1}
    • Gluteal: 4.22/1,000 {1}
    • Plantar Fascia: 2.44/1,000 {1}
    • Elbow: 3/1,000 {1}
    • Shoulder: 3/1,0003/1,000 {1}

Given that there exist at least 6 other joints where tendon injuries happen with a similar incidence as in the Achilles tendon, the lifetime incidence for tendinopathy is ~25% (7 injury locations*6% of lifetime incidence for each of them = 36% lifetime incidence for any, lifetime incidence But some people may have more than 1 injured location, hence ~25%).

As a result, unsurprisingly, tendon injuries account for at least 7% of physician visits in the United States {3}.

References:

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