Tendon research has come a long way. So far, in fact, that 120 tendon-interested clinicians and scientists met in Umeå, north Sweden, in October 2010 at a conference called ‘Neuronal and non-neuronal pathways in the tendon pathology continuum’. The novel data, vigorous exchanges and the generation of new ideas for study highlighted the buzz in this field. The stories of challenging clinical cases underscored the urgency for improvements in diagnosis and in treatment. In this issue, you will find papers on new surgical techniques (see pages 407 and 411), advances in understanding tendon pain (see pages 393 and 429) and updates on injection therapies (see pages 411 and 424). All these allow you to manage patients and athletes who present with problematical tendon symptoms more effectively.