Dorothy FarrarBiceps tendon rupture
A biceps tendon rupture refers to the severing (rupture) of one of the biceps tendons. Biceps tendon rupture is a common injury in athletes. Around 96 percent of all injuries occur in the shoulder area. Treatment is often initially conservative (without surgery). If the therapy is not successful, the tendons are sewn together again by means of an operation.
What is a biceps tendon rupture?
The term biceps tendon tear is used by physicians to describe a rupture – tear – of a tendon that is located in the two-headed flexor muscle. The arm flexor muscle – musculus biceps brachii – is trained intensively, especially in weight training.
In the case of a biceps tendon tear, doctors distinguish between a proximal rupture (the rupture occurs here in the shoulder) and a distal rupture (the tear occurs in the elbow area).
cause
The biceps tendon rupture occurs primarily during physical activity and mechanical stress on the muscles. The main problem with biceps tendon rupture is that other injuries accompany it at the same time. This means that the biceps tendon tear is not the only injury, it occurs in conjunction with soft tissue injuries. Many patients not only suffer a biceps tendon tear, but also an injury to the rotator cuff.
But the distal – lower – biceps tendon can also tear due to spontaneous or jerky movements. An enormous amount of force is not required. Previous damage can also be the reason for a rupture. Weakening of the muscles is also a cause of a biceps tendon rupture.
Other causes of a biceps tendon rupture are: Overload damage due to monotonous sporting activity, ischemia due to bottlenecks in the morphological area, exposure to cortisone , degenerative diseases and genetic disposition as well as age and a disease of the rheumatic circuit.
When to the doctor?
If you experience sudden pain in your shoulder that doesn’t go away in the next few minutes or hours, see a doctor. If the shoulder, upper back or arm can no longer be moved as usual, a doctor’s visit is necessary. In the case of pain or muscle strains , there are other diseases that must be distinguished from a biceps tendon tear and should be examined.
A doctor should be consulted if the shoulder or arm is less able to bear weight. If the upper body or head is in an oblique position, the symptoms must be medically clarified. If the body is unilaterally burdened by the present complaints, a doctor must be consulted in good time to prevent permanent damage. If the symptoms spread or increase in intensity, a doctor is needed.
If headaches occur or the eyes flicker, there are also other diseases that need medical attention. A ruptured biceps tendon can cause symptoms of anxiety and stress. It is advisable to have a medical examination initiated as soon as possible.
A doctor should be consulted if there is general discomfort in the shoulder or a change in feeling in the shoulder and arm. If there are coordination problems or a slowing down of movement, further examinations are necessary and treatment measures must be taken.
symptoms and course
Pain is not the primary concern with a biceps tendon tear. The patient does not complain of severe pain, but rather of a loss of strength when bending the arm. If the lower tendon tears, the muscle kicks up. With an upper biceps tear, the muscle kicks down. As a rule, however, the patient only complains of a loss of strength; Pain occurs only to a limited extent.
Diagnose
The doctor makes the diagnosis of a biceps tendon rupture based on the medical history and the symptoms described by the patient. An X-ray rules out bony injuries; the condition of the tendons cannot be seen on the X-ray.
If the doctor does not discover a bony injury and excludes it, an MRT – magnetic resonance imaging – is prescribed to establish the diagnosis. With this application, the doctor recognizes the tendon and any injuries as well as the biceps tendon tear.
complications
Severe complications of a biceps tendon rupture are rare. However, the people affected often suffer from severe pain, which can be both acute and chronic. They often only show up when performing movements of the injured arm. However, this has a significant impact on the patient’s everyday life.
In addition, the affected upper arm loses a lot of strength. Due to a biceps tendon rupture, normal everyday activities or sporting activities can no longer be carried out without problems. For example, there are movements of the muscle in the upper direction, which the patient is quite aware of.
The treatment of a biceps tendon rupture is surgical for most sufferers. Complications such as thrombosis, wound healing disorders, injuries to nerves and vessels, bleeding or infections are all possible, but these are rare. However, even modern surgical procedures cannot guarantee a complete restoration of athletic abilities in every case. However, the surgical results are generally more positive than the results of conservative treatment.
Complications are also conceivable with conservative therapy. There is a risk of damage to vessels and nerves due to the pressure within the bandage. In addition, muscles and bones become weaker due to the restricted movement. In some cases, there is a risk of Sudeck’s syndrome, which leads to severe bone loss and painful inflammation.
treatment and therapy
As a rule, the doctor operates on a biceps tendon tear. During the surgery, the doctor attaches the biceps tendon. For a tear in the shoulder area, the doctor uses the arthroscopic procedure. Arthroscopy is also used when there are other injuries in the area being treated.
There are different surgical treatment options for a biceps tendon tear. First and foremost, the tendon is sewn to the bone – this is what doctors call reinsertion. In addition to the suture, the tendon can also be attached and anchored to the bone itself. Another surgical option is to wrap the tendon around the bone. If the patient suffers a biceps tendon tear in the lower area, surgical treatment is also used.
The arm cannot bear weight after the surgical procedure. The patient must use physiotherapy exercises to ensure that the joints remain flexible and the muscles are trained. An increase in stress occurs gradually over several days and weeks.
An operation as well as therapy after the operation also involves complications. Bleeding, wound healing disorders, thrombosis , infections or injuries to vessels such as nerves are extremely rare when treating a biceps tendon tear.
With the new procedures, the doctor enables 100% sporting ability after the operation and physical treatment. Even if many doctors still recommend conservative therapy, statistics and the experience of many patients show that surgery is significantly more effective. However, if it is not an athlete, the conservative form of treatment is usually completely sufficient to make everyday life as it used to be.
prevention
The patient can prevent a biceps tendon rupture by preventing previous damage. This means that you have to warm up before exercising so that the muscles warm up. In most cases, missing or incorrect warm-up training leads to a ruptured biceps tendon and other injuries.
The athlete should avoid nicotine in the event of a biceps tendon rupture. Even if athletes do not smoke as a rule, they should swear off cigarettes, since nicotine promotes ischemia and also impairs wound healing. If the patient complains of injuries or inflammation, it is important to be patient and let them heal.
Many biceps tendon tears occur because other injuries have occurred and have not healed. Excessive training also causes injuries and significantly promotes the rupture of the biceps tendon.
Hello and welcome to my Health Guide & Encyclopedia! My name is Dorothy Farrar, and I'm the founder and main author of this platform.
My passion for health and wellness started at a young age when I became interested in the connection between the food we eat and the way we feel. This fascination led me to study nutrition and dietetics in college, where I learned about the importance of a balanced diet and the impact of various nutrients on the body.