Tenex Health TX® – Treatment for Chronic Tendon Problems

Chronic tendon pain can significantly limit daily activities and sports—especially when physical therapy, activity modification, or other conservative treatments do not provide sufficient relief. With Tenex Health TX®, the ROC offers a minimally invasive procedure that can specifically target pathologically altered tendon tissue.

At ROC Ortho in Aschheim, near Munich, we use Tenex Health TX® to treat selected chronic tendon and fascia conditions. The treatment is ultrasound-guided, which allows us to precisely locate the affected area and treat it specifically.

What is Tenex Health TX®?

Tenex Health TX® is a minimally invasive, ultrasound-based procedure for treating certain chronic tendon conditions. First, an ultrasound examination is used to identify the area where pathologically altered tissue is present. A special Tenex probe is then guided to the affected area through a small incision. Using ultrasound energy, the affected tissue can be precisely targeted and removed. The surrounding healthy tissue is spared as much as possible during the procedure.

Tenex Health TX® thus represents a treatment option—when indicated—that falls between purely conservative measures and traditional open surgery.

When is Tenex treatment an option?

Tendons need time to adapt to stress and to heal after injuries or overexertion. If symptoms persist over a longer period, structural changes may occur within the tendon.

Tenex treatment may be an option, particularly for chronic tendon problems, if:

• the symptoms have been present for quite some time,
• the affected tendon can be clearly identified as the cause of the pain,
• structurally altered tissue is detectable on ultrasound,
• conservative measures have not led to sufficient improvement,
• Pain that significantly limits daily life, work, or athletic activities.

Therefore, we do not determine whether Tenex Health TX® is suitable for your condition based solely on the duration or intensity of your pain. The decisive factors are the orthopedic examination, the precise diagnosis, and the structural findings regarding the affected tendon.

How the Tenex Treatment Works

Before the Tenex treatment, we use ultrasound to locate the affected tendon area. This allows us to identify where structurally altered tissue is located and to plan the treatment precisely.

The procedure is performed through a small incision in the skin. The special Tenex probe is guided to the affected tissue under ultrasound guidance. High-frequency ultrasound energy is then used to precisely treat and remove the diseased tissue.

A key difference from open surgery lies in the approach: The Tenex procedure does not require a large surgical incision. This minimizes disruption to the surrounding tissue. The small incision is then closed, and follow-up care begins.

Why Ultrasound Monitoring Is Important at Tenex

In cases of chronic tendon pain, the entire tendon is not necessarily affected. Structural changes are often concentrated in a specific area. Ultrasound guidance allows us to visualize the affected region precisely during treatment and to guide the Tenex probe with precision. This is a key component of the procedure: We do not treat a painful tendon indiscriminately, but rather base our approach on the previously diagnosed structural findings.

Here's How Your Tenex Treatment at the ROC Works

At ROC Ortho, a Tenex treatment begins with a thorough orthopedic examination. We first want to understand the cause of your symptoms, how long you’ve had them, and what treatments you’ve undergone so far.

We then examine the affected tendon and assess its structure using ultrasound. Depending on your symptoms, additional diagnostic procedures may be appropriate. If a tendon change suitable for Tenex is confirmed, we will discuss with you in detail whether the procedure is appropriate for your situation. We will explain the procedure, possible alternatives, post-treatment care, and the expected progression of physical activity.

The Tenex treatment itself is minimally invasive and ultrasound-guided. After the procedure, you will receive a personalized plan for the first few days and weeks.

What happens after the Tenex treatment?

Even though the procedure is minimally invasive, the treated tendon needs time to heal afterward. Therefore, Tenex treatment does not mean that you can immediately resume full physical activity.

How quickly you can resume your daily routine, work, and sports depends, among other things, on

• which tendon was treated,
• how significant the changes were,
• how long the symptoms have been present,
• what stresses the affected region faces in everyday life,
• what athletic goals you have.

The load is then gradually increased. Depending on the area being treated, physical therapy may be beneficial for specifically rebuilding mobility, strength, and endurance. If necessary, we’ll be happy to coordinate follow-up treatment with our in-house physical therapy practice, ROC Physio.

What are the benefits of Tenex Health TX®?

Tenex Health TX® enables targeted treatment of chronically damaged tendon tissue through a small incision.

The characteristics of the procedure include:

• minimally invasive approach,
• Treatment under ultrasound guidance,
• targeted treatment of structurally altered tissue,
• preserving as much of the surrounding tissue as possible,
• no large open surgical incision,
• Individualized return-to-activity plan following the procedure.

Whether these benefits apply in a specific case depends on the correct diagnosis. Therefore, Tenex is not automatically the right treatment for every type of tendon pain.

Tenex or conservative treatment?

For new cases of tendon pain, Tenex is generally not the first line of treatment. Depending on the diagnosis, conservative measures such as adjusting activity levels, physical therapy, targeted exercises, or shockwave therapy may be considered first.

Only when symptoms persist for an extended period and there is no sufficient improvement despite appropriate conservative treatment should further treatment options be considered. The appropriate treatment does not depend solely on the severity of the pain. We take into account, among other factors, the duration of the symptoms, the affected tendon, structural changes, previous treatments, and your individual physical demands.

Tenex Health TX® at ROC Ortho in Aschheim, near Munich

At ROC Ortho, we focus on conservative and minimally invasive treatment options for musculoskeletal conditions. Tenex Health TX® complements this range of treatments for select chronic tendon and fascia conditions. For us, the key is not to use a specific procedure as early as possible. We first want to understand which structure is causing your symptoms and which therapy is appropriate for your individual condition. To do this, we combine orthopedic examinations, modern imaging, and ultrasound diagnostics with conservative and minimally invasive treatment options.

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