Bicep Tendon Rupture Health Video

The biceps tendon attaches the biceps muscle to the radius. Learn how to diagnose and treat a biceps tendon tear in this medical video.

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Commonly seen in mature adults
Straightforward diagnoses
Check if tendon is taut
Treat with ice
Elevate
Rest
May require surgery

About this Author

Roger Ostrander, M.D. is a board certified orthopedic surgeon with additional subspecialty training in arthroscopic surgery and the treatment of sports-related injuries. He earned his undergraduate degree in biology at Bowdoin College and received his medical degree at Boston University School of Medicine with magna cum laude honors. His residency was at the University of California, San Diego with a concurrent one year fellowship in musculoskeletal research. Ostrander has published several scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals and has presented this research at numerous national and regional meetings. He has received a number of awards related to his research and academic pursuits.

DR. ROGER OSTRANDER: The biceps tendon attaches the biceps muscle to the bone in the forearm called the radius. It can be injured during forced resisted flexion and in severe cases it can pull off the bone completely. This injury typically occurs in a little bit older age group in the 40- to 60-year-old age group. We commonly see it with weightlifting. It can also happen if somebody loses their balance and grabs and tries to catch himself from falling. You've got that resisted flexion and again it become too much and it can pull the tendon off the bone. Diagnosing this injury is pretty straight forward. There tends to be pain, swelling and bruising in the front of the elbow. It hurts to move the elbow. There is weakness. And as a physician when I touch in that area, I can tell that that tendon is no longer taut. There are varying degrees of severity with distal biceps tendon ruptures. Minor strains are partial tears. It can often be treated nonsurgically with a course of rest, ice and elevation. We do some general physical therapy exercises and these can get well without surgery. As far as treatment is concerned, there is a spectrum of injury. Minor strains or partial tears can often be treated symptomatically with ice and elevation and rest and maybe a little physical therapy. Complete ruptures of the tendon where they pulled off the bone entirely are best treated with surgery to restore function and strength. For those injuries that don't require surgery, recovery can take anywhere from 6 to 12 weeks depending on the severity. For those who do undergo surgical treatment, they are protected in a splint for six weeks. We can then get more aggressive with the strengthening but it takes four to six months to get complete recovery to return. If an athlete injures the elbow and has significant pain and swelling in the front with difficulty in movement, they should see a physician as quickly as possible to ensure there has not been a complete tendon rupture.