BICEPS INSERTION RUPTURE

The biceps muscle is in the front of your upper arm. It helps you bend your elbow and rotate your forearm. It also helps keep your shoulder stable.
Tendons attach muscles to bone. Your biceps tendons attach the biceps muscle to bones in the shoulder and in the elbow. If you tear the biceps tendon at the elbow, you will lose strength in your arm and be unable to forcefully turn your arm from palm down to palm up.

Once torn, the biceps tendon at the elbow will not grow back to the bone and heal. Other arm muscles make it possible to bend the elbow fairly well without the biceps. However, they cannot fulfill all the functions, especially the motion of rotating the forearm from palm down to palm up. This is called supination. Significant permanent weakness during supination will occur if the tendon is not surgically repaired.

A biceps insertion rupture is a tear in the biceps tendon at its attachment site to the elbow. This tendon is called the distal biceps tendon, which is inserted to the radial tuberosity. This tuberosity is the small, bony bump near your elbow joint. A tear at this location can cause weakness in your arm and pain during various movements.

The biceps muscle is in the front of your upper arm. It helps you bend your elbow and rotate your forearm. It also helps keep your shoulder stable. The biceps tendons attach the biceps muscle to the shoulder bones and those in the elbow. A biceps tendon tear at the elbow is rare and often caused by a sudden injury or trauma to the area.

Lifting a heavy load is a common way of tearing the biceps tendon. The elbow is forced straight against resistance, causing additional stress on the biceps and eventually, the tendon tears away from the bone. Once torn, the tendon will not heal. While the other surrounding soft tissues will allow the elbow to bend, the elbow won’t be able to perform its normal functions, especially rotating the forearm. The tendon can either partially or completely tear. A complete tear occurs when the tendon is severed from its attachment to the bone but a partial tear is still attached. More often than not, distal biceps tendon tears are complete.

When the tendon ruptures, there is usually a distinct “popping” sound at the elbow accompanied by severe pain. Swelling and bruising at the elbow are also indicators of a ruptured biceps tendon. Functionally, bending the elbow and rotating the forearm are often difficult and painful.

Surgery is necessary to reattach the biceps tendon to the bone to regain full arm function. There may be cases where surgery is not recommended and non-surgical treatment is provided but full arm function won’t be restored. Rest, anti-inflammatory medicine and physical therapy will help reduce pain and maintain as much arm function as possible.