Biceps tendon rupture
| Biceps tendon rupture | |
|---|---|
| This image show the biceps brachii from an anterior perspective. The biceps brachii primarily serves to supinate the forearm at the elbow joint. The muscle belly is composed of two heads. The short head is more medial and highlighted in green. The long head is more lateral and highlighted in red. | |
| Specialty | Orthopedics |
| Symptoms | Audible "pop" at the time of injury, upper arm pain, bruising, swelling |
| Causes | Hyper-extension of the elbow. |
| Risk factors | Male sex; smoking; obesity; corticosteroids |
| Diagnostic method | Physical exam, ultrasound |
| Treatment | Conservative care; surgical re-attachment followed by physical therapy |
| Frequency | 2.55 per 100,000 patient-years. |
A biceps tendon rupture or bicep tear is a complete or partial rupture of a tendon of the biceps brachii muscle. It can affect any of the three biceps brachii tendons - the proximal tendon of the short head of the muscle belly, the proximal tendon of the long head of the muscle belly, or the distal tendon. The characteristic finding of a biceps tendon rupture is the Popeye sign. Patients often report an audible pop at the time of injury as well as pain, bruising, and swelling. Provocative physical exam maneuvers to assess for a rupture include Ludington's test, Hook test, and the Ruland biceps squeeze test. Treatment and prognosis are highly dependent on the site of the injury described in further detail below.