Biceps Tendon Injuries
The biceps is the muscle located at the front of your arm, just below the shoulder. It is a strong muscle in the upper arm that helps you rotate your arm, lift objects, and flex your elbow. The biceps tendons connect the muscle to the bones at both the elbow and shoulder. If these tendons tear, whether due to a fall, a sports injury, or intense use, you may lose strength in the upper arm and experience pain with movements.
Most tears result from constant strain and intense use of the biceps muscle and tendon. They are classically seen in people who lift weights and perform strength training and usually begin with tendon wear. As the injury progresses, the tendon begins to tear. These tears can occur in two ways:
The proximal biceps tendon rupture is a biceps tendon injury that occurs when it enters the shoulder joint. The tendon is vulnerable to injury in this location because it markedly turns as it enters the joint and moves up to 2 inches up and down with shoulder movements. It is in this region that the biceps tendon tears most frequently and generally occurs in patients over 50 years of age. This injury is often associated with rotator cuff tears. In some cases, symptoms may be minimal and the injury may heal on its own; surgery may be useful to treat some cases of contracture, weakness, and deformity.
Non-surgical treatment of a biceps tendon injury includes resting the injured arm and avoiding activities that may have caused the injury (lifting heavy objects or strength training). Applying cold compresses and ice helps combat inflammation and pain. Anti-inflammatory medications and non-steroidal drugs can also be taken for pain relief. We will advise you on various physical therapy exercises you can do at home to help with flexibility and strength.
Several new procedures are available to repair the injured tendon with minimal incisions using arthroscopic surgery. The goal of surgery is to reattach the injured tendon to the bone, called long head biceps tenodesis.
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