What is the difference between ligaments and tendons? Since we tend to confuse these two concepts, which is completely wrong. Ligaments are the connective tissue formation that binds (excuse the tautology) the bones inside the joints together. For example, they are what prevents a condition like a dislocation. And tendons connect the bone and muscles, as if they were a continuation of the bone (muscle). Thus, tendons, unlike ligaments, hardly "stretch" and can therefore "tear".