Located in the front of the upper arm between the shoulder
and elbow, the function of the biceps is to keep the shoulder stable. The
biceps also helps to bend and flex the arm at the elbow joint. Composed of tendons and muscles, the tendons attach the
biceps muscle to the bone. The upper portion of the biceps muscle has two
tendons that attach to the shoulder. The long head attaches to the top of the
shoulder or glenoid, while the short head attaches to a portion of the shoulder
blade referred to as the coracoid.
Picture courtesy of http://www.shoulderdoc.co.uk
The long head of the biceps tendon is more commonly injured.
Common injuries include full and partial tears of biceps tendon and result from
overuse or acute injury. These injuries often occur in conjunction with other
injuries of the shoulder, such as Rotator Cuff Tears.
Symptoms of Biceps Tears:
- Weakness of the shoulder/elbow
- A bulge or deformity in the upper arm
- Difficulty turning palm up and down
- Sharp/sudden pain in upper arm
- Cramping of the biceps muscle
- Pain or tenderness in the shoulder/arm
Treatment of biceps tears can be non-surgical or surgical,
depending on the severity of the injury. Non-surgical treatment includes ice,
rest, anti-inflammatories and physical therapy. Surgical intervention is often
needed, especially with athletes and physical laborers.
Surgery is most commonly performed arthroscopically. Two
surgical procedures used to repair the biceps tendon are referred to as Biceps
Tenodesis and Biceps Tenotomy. In Tenodesis, the biceps is repaired
arthroscopically and the tendon is reattached to the bone. In Tenotomy, the
biceps is cut and not repaired. Each procedure has advantages, depending on the
patient and nature of the injury. A future blog post will review both
procedures in greater detail.
