What To Do If You Suspect A Bicep Tendon Tear | Midwest Orthopedic Specialty Hospital (2023)

FAQs

Should I go to the hospital for a torn bicep? ›

MUSCLES, TENDONS AND BONES

Go to a hospital emergency room immediately if there is severe, constant (intractable) pain associated with moving or bearing weight and there is a large bump or other physical deformity.

If you suspect a torn biceps, the first thing you need to do is visit a doctor for a diagnosis. Your doctor (preferably an orthopedist) will need to use an imaging test like an MRI to confirm a tear or rupture, although an X-ray may also be needed to rule out any injury to bone.

Distal biceps tendon ruptures almost always need urgent surgical repair as the patient may lose significant functioning of the affected arm [8].

If you tear or rupture a tendon or ligament, you should seek medical attention as soon as possible. Your doctor needs to see how severe the injury is before it starts to swell. Swelling makes these injuries harder to diagnose.

Bicep tendon tears can be serious, but many respond to nonsurgical treatment, such as rest and physical therapy. If you think you might have injured your bicep tendon, see a doctor as soon as possible. Getting a diagnosis and treatment early can help you recover more fully.

Surgery to repair the tendon should be performed during the first 2 to 3 weeks after injury. After this time, the tendon and biceps muscle begin to scar and shorten, and it may not be possible to restore arm function with surgery.

Before you can tell that you have a bicep tear at your elbow, you need to be diagnosed first with an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging). An MRI is an imaging test that takes detailed pictures of what's inside your body through the use of powerful magnets and radio waves.

Partial tears <50% may be treated with nonoperative management or with surgical debridement of the surrounding synovitis. Tears >50% should be treated with division of the remaining tendon and surgical repair of the entire tendon as a single unit.

The biceps muscle has two tendons, one of which attaches it to the bone in the shoulder and the other attaches at the elbow. The biceps tendon at the elbow is called the distal biceps tendon and if there is a tear in this tendon, you will be unable to move your arm from the palm-down to palm-up position.

A biceps tendon tear is made more obvious by contracting the muscle ("Popeye Muscle"). Partial ruptures are less obvious. To diagnose a partial tear, your doctor may ask you to bend your arm and tighten the biceps muscle. Pain when you use your biceps muscle may mean there is a partial tear.

How do I know if my bicep injury is serious? ›

Symptoms of a biceps tear or biceps rupture

Severe pain that may go away after a few days. Bruising and sometimes swelling in that part of the arm. Shoulder and arm weakness. A bulge in one part of the upper arm – with a gap in the other part – because the muscle has bunched up in one section of the biceps.

Symptoms of bicep tendon injuries can include pain at the injury site or throughout the arm, swelling, bruising, warmth to the touch, and a popping sound at the time of injury. Bicep tendon injuries also can include difficulty turning the arm and increased fatigue of the arm during activity.

Get advice from 111 now if:

it's very painful, or the pain is getting worse. there is a large amount of swelling or bruising, or the swelling or bruising is getting worse. it hurts to put weight on it. it feels very stiff or is difficult to move.

If your strain is mild or moderate, you should be able to treat it at home using ice, heat and anti-inflammatory medication; however, more severe strains (or tears) typically need medical attention.

The surgery will depend on the type of injury. For example, for a knee injury such as an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear, a surgeon may remove the damaged ACL and replace it with tissue to grow a new ligament in its place. After surgery, patients are advised to do physical therapy to help with recovery.

If you are experiencing any discomfort, an ache that travels down the upper arm, or if you have heard a snapping sound, then it is recommended that you visit a physician. If you do, he or she will ask questions regarding your medical history. Your doctor will then conduct an examination of your shoulder.

The majority of biceps rupture involves the long head. Distal biceps tendon rupture can be complete avulsion or partial detachment from the lateral side of the radial tuberosity.

What to expect from biceps tendon surgery. Surgical tendon repair usually takes place in an outpatient setting. You can go home the same day as the procedure.

Surgeons seem to agree that the benefit of surgery is a little more supination strength, with flexion strength returning close to normal with or without surgery. An untreated rupture causes less deformity than with proximal biceps rupture. Surgery adds a scar and does not entirely prevent deformity.

Complete tears of the biceps tendon at the elbow do not heal back to the bone without surgery. There is loss of strength with elbow flexion and especially forearm rotation and often ongoing achy or cramping-type pain in the arm if the tendon is not repaired.

Should you wear a sling for a bicep tendon tear? ›

Your physical therapist and orthopedic surgeon will require you to wear a sling for four weeks following surgery and gradually build up your strengthening exercises as you get stronger.

Tendon repair isn't usually regarded as emergency surgery. But, it's generally carried out as quickly as possible after the injury – usually within a few days. This is because the longer the tendons remain ruptured, the more scarring will develop on the end of the tendons.

Swelling and pain is normal, especially for the first 48 hours. Each patient experiences discomfort to a different degree but you can expect your discomfort to decrease rapidly over the first 48-72 hours postoperatively. Ice can be applied as needed for 20 minutes at a time, with 20 minute breaks in-between.

What is Yergason's test? Yergason's test is a physical test performed to help detect certain biceps tendon injuries — in particular, an injury to the long head of the biceps tendon. It can also assist in the diagnosis of a tear in your transverse humeral ligament, SLAP tear and biceps tendonitis.

Severe and excruciating pain. Immediate bruising. Pain and discomfort that worsens with tendon use. A “crunchy” sound or feeling (crepitus) with tendon use.

You may be able to do easier daily activities in 2 to 3 weeks, as long as you don't use your injured arm. Most people who work at a desk job can return to work in 1 to 2 weeks. If you lift, push, or pull at work, it may take 3 to 4 months or longer before you can go back to work.

Bicipital groove point tenderness is the most common isolated finding during physical examination of patients with biceps tendinitis. Ultrasonography is the best modality for evaluating isolated biceps tendinopathy extra-articularly. If other pathology is suspected, magnetic resonance imaging should be performed.

Conclusions: Magnetic resonance imaging is an effective tool for diagnosing distal biceps tendon ruptures. Although MRI is extremely sensitive in diagnosing complete tears, it is substantially less sensitive in diagnosing partial tears.

The most obvious symptom will be a sudden, severe pain in the upper part of your arm or at the elbow, depending on where the tendon is injured. You may hear or feel a "pop" when a tendon tears. Other signs that you may have torn a biceps tendon can include: Sharp pain at the shoulder or elbow.

The doctor can use imaging and other tests to confirm the extent of the injury. Some tendon ruptures can heal without surgery. However, complete tears will need surgery, particularly if the patient wishes to resume activities. Tendon repair surgery is also necessary if conservative treatment fails.

What is the most painful tendon to tear? ›

One of the most painful injuries of the feet and ankles is a ruptured Achilles tendon. The Achilles tendon is thick and long. On one end, it attaches to your heel bone; on the other end, the tendon is embedded in your calf muscle.

Hand tendon repair is needed when 1 or more tendons in your hand rupture (break or split) or are cut, leading to the loss of normal hand movements. If your extensor tendons are damaged, you'll be unable to straighten 1 or more fingers. If your flexor tendons are damaged, you'll be unable to bend 1 or more fingers.

If you have muscle pain as the result of an injury or condition, or even if you have no idea how it started, schedule an appointment with an orthopedic physician at the Center for Orthopaedic Surgery and Sports Medicine.

Torn muscles are categorized by the severity of the injury: mild which is a simple strain affecting 5% of a muscle's fibers; moderate which is up to 25%-30% and accompanied by swelling, decreased range of motion and pain; and severe which is an actual tear in a muscle that is accompanied by extensive swelling.

Generally, muscle strains are benign and can be treated at home. However, you should consider visiting an urgent care center if you experience any of the following symptoms after a muscle strain: Persistent pain or pain that radiates down the legs or arms.

Doctors will use a combination of bracing, physical therapy, heat therapy, and medication to help with healing. The ligament responds well to these methods with a high overall success rate. The only caveat is the recovery time as ligaments and tendons lack blood vessels and have a low blood supply.

While some ligament tears are relatively minor, you shouldn't take them lightly. Make sure to see your doctor right away if the pain and swelling don't decrease within 24 to 72 hours, you cannot bear any weight on the affected body part, or your symptoms get worse.

You may benefit from surgery to repair the torn tendon if: Your symptoms cannot be relieved by nonsurgical treatments. You develop cramping in the muscle or pain. You require complete recovery of strength.

Most biceps tendon tears can be treated nonsurgically, but we can perform minimally invasive surgery called arthroscopy to repair it if necessary. We will help you get back to the activities you live for.

Can anything be done for a torn bicep? ›

Nonsurgical treatment options include rest, ice and anti-inflammatory medications. Other nonsurgical treatments may include: Physical therapy and rehabilitation — exercises to help improve shoulder flexibility and build shoulder strength, your physical therapist will develop a treatment plan that is customized for you.

Complete tears of the biceps tendon at the elbow do not heal back to the bone without surgery. There is loss of strength with elbow flexion and especially forearm rotation and often ongoing achy or cramping-type pain in the arm if the tendon is not repaired.

No matter where your biceps tear is, sharp, sudden pain is a common symptom. Both partial and complete tears are painful and can significantly compromise your arm's mobility.

What to expect from biceps tendon surgery. Surgical tendon repair usually takes place in an outpatient setting. You can go home the same day as the procedure.