Bicep Tendon Repair Surgery

Bicep Tendon Repair Surgery in Bethesda, MD

When the tendon, the tissue that connects your bones and your muscles, tears in your bicep, it results in a painful injury you may feel in your elbow or shoulder. A ruptured bicep can occur near the elbow or shoulder, and it may be a partial or full tear. You can suffer a bicep injury due to repetitive motion, or you may experience a trauma that leads to the tear.

You can seek assistance if you have bicep pain. We offer high-quality torn bicep surgery and other treatment in Northern Virginia and Maryland. Our experienced team understands the frustration of living with chronic pain brought on by this injury, and we want to help you think about your treatment options and decide which one is the best fit for your unique situation.

By seeking treatment with OrthoBethesda, you can get answers to all your questions about your injury. We’ll help you regain the function your arm had before the injury.

Distal Biceps Rupture

The distal biceps tendon helps us turn our palms up and flex, or bend our elbows. It is the cord-like structure that you feel in the crease of the elbow when it is flexed (bent) and the palm of your hand is turned up. The word “distal” essentially means the lower end of a tendon, muscle or bone and “proximal” means the upper end.

What Happens When Your Bicep Tears

A distal biceps rupture (tear), may occur when someone tries to lift something heavy. There is typically significant pain and a popping or tearing sensation in the elbow and forearm. In the coming hours and days, the arm will swell and bruise. Patients will notice pain and weakness when trying to bend the elbow or carry something, especially with the palm facing up. If you suspect this has happened to you, then you should be evaluated by an orthopedic surgeon within a few days.

Symptoms of a Torn Bicep

Tearing a bicep results in a number of frustrating signs of the injury, such as:

• Difficulty rotating your arm to show your palm down and palm up
• Development of “Popeye muscle,” or significant bruising or swelling in the upper arm
• Shoulder or elbow weakness

What to Expect at Your Appointment

At your appointment the surgeon will examine your arm. You may have an x-ray of your elbow. In some cases the surgeon may order an MRI to confirm that you have indeed torn this tendon and to evaluate the extent of the injury. Your surgeon will discuss with you what they think is the best way to manage your injury. In most cases, surgery will be recommended but sometimes these injuries are best managed without. With or without surgery, it will take between 3 to 6 months to recover.

What Happens During Distal Bicep Tendon Rupture Surgery?

Bicep tendon repair surgery is generally scheduled after we have exhausted other options for repairing a torn bicep tendon. We’ll initially try relieving your symptoms with pain medication, ice and rest. Physical therapy can also prove effective.

Initial methods may not fix the bicep. Instead, you may need surgery to treat the painful condition, especially if you injured your dominant, or writing, arm.

We can usually perform distal bicep tendon rupture surgery on an outpatient basis. The surgery involves reattaching your torn tendon to the bone. You can expect full recovery from the surgery to take up to a year, and you’ll need to use a sling for your arm for up to a month post-surgery.

Why Choose OrthoBethesda for Bicep Tendon Repair?

By selecting OrthoBethesda for your bicep tendon treatment, you can access a team that cares about your welfare and improvement. Our sympathetic and caring staff will explain your condition and your options in easy-to-understand language. We want you to have a thorough grasp of what to expect from any procedure — not just medical jargon.

We treat our patients like family, and we want you to feel better. The frustration of living with a torn bicep can build over time, and we want to alleviate that pain and frustration.

Further Reading

Tenodesis vs. Tenotomy

Shoulder Pain – Biceps Tendonitis