Skeletal muscle attaches to bone through a:

Skeletal muscle attaches to bone through a tendon, which is a fibrous connective tissue that connects muscle to bone. Tendons are composed of collagen and other proteins, providing the strength necessary to withstand the forces exerted by muscle contraction. They serve as a conduit for the muscle's force to be transmitted to the bone, enabling movement at the joints.

In addition to this primary function, tendons also play a role in the overall function of the musculoskeletal system by allowing for flexibility and some degree of elasticity, which aids in shock absorption during activities like running or jumping. Understanding the role of tendons is essential in the context of corrective exercise, as proper function and integrity of tendons are crucial for movement mechanics and injury prevention.

Other structures mentioned, such as ligaments, cartilage, and aponeuroses, have different functions. Ligaments connect bone to bone, providing stability to joints; cartilage cushions joints and facilitates smooth movement; and aponeuroses are flat, sheet-like tendons that can connect muscles to structures or muscles to other muscles, but they do not attach directly to bone in the same way as tendons.