# Distal Biceps Tendon Tear



## jfaulk (Dec 18, 2017)

Unfortunately, I suffered a Left Distal Biceps Tendon tear almost 2 weeks ago cleaning up a down tree. I didn't feel the "pop" that is often described with this injury, but I felt a definite tearing sensation. I knew it was damaged but unwilling to admit the severity. It took the surgeon that worked on the same arm 4 years ago about 10 seconds to decide I needed surgery to repair the tendon. I just got a new mtb a few months ago and I've been enjoying getting back into the sport. Unfortunately, this injury is going to keep me off the bike for a while. If anyone has any personal experience with this injury and repair, I am interested in hearing about it. I will try to keep this thread updated with my progress. Thanks.


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## jfaulk (Dec 18, 2017)

Day 1 Postop: Just wanted to provide an update for anyone that might be interested in the future. Surgery on 29 Jun at 1230. Doc said it went well. Tendon only retracted about 3" so he didn't have to "dig" too much to get it back into position for reattachment. The Arthrex Biceps Button and Tension Slide technique was used. I'm in a hard splint, wrap, and sling for now. I will get a ROM Brace on Day 10. The nurses were a little too liberal with pain meds before I was released. They gave me two 5/325 percocets AND about half a syringe of whatever through my IV right before discharge. About 15 mins after we left, my wife had to pull over so I didn't get sick in the car. I had nausea/vomiting until about 2200. I started my pain meds at 0200 this morning. One percocet every 6 hrs seems to be working, vs the max dose of two every 4 hrs that is recommended. I have a little pain but I like to have some just so I can identify if I'm moving it into a bad positio. More to follow.


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## davec113 (May 31, 2006)

Good luck! 

I lost my long head biceps tendon a few months ago, it's not something that gets repaired unless you're <25 y/o these days so I just have to adjust to it. Surgeons call it "Elway Arm". It was the end result of more major damage 1.5 years ago. 

It's a totally different injury but I feel for 'ya and hope you recover 100%! 

I like painkillers rather than pain but limit it to 1 week or so, after that negative side effects get to be too much.


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## jfaulk (Dec 18, 2017)

It's been 1 week since surgery so I thought I'd post my progress thus far. Day 2 Post-Op was by far the worst. I woke up with a lot of pain and although I didn't want to, I ended up having to up my painkiller timetable to every 4 hours. Day 3 Post-Op ended up being two small victories. I had instructions from the Doc to remove the hard splint and wrap and wear just the sling, so I did exactly that. My biggest victory was my pain level. I have not taken anything other than Motrin since Monday. I have some pain but I am managing well. I still have some swelling in my bicep and forearm but it has almost completely receded from my hand. Monday will be my first post-op appt where I will receive a ROM brace. In other news, I woke up at about 0400 this morning from a dream that someone stole my RSD Sergeant. It was so real, I ran out to the garage in my boxers and it scared the crap out of my wife. She thought I was having some kind of medical emergency. LOL. More to follow next week. 

Thanks, Davec113 for the input. I hope you are able to recover to the point that you are back to, or at least close to, pre-injury performance.

Josh


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## jfaulk (Dec 18, 2017)

Quick Update. Today is three weeks since surgery. In all honesty,my only real problems have been heat rash. Between the heat and humidity of coastal NC and wearing a sling for ten days, I got a pretty good heat rash on my inner bicep, armpit, left side. Ended up getting Prednisone to help clear it up. Still not 100% gone but I feel so much better. On Day 10, received a range-of-motion brace. Fortunately, I had pretty decent range of motion coming out of the sling. Doc set my brace at O degrees extension to prevent hyperextension and told me to "start working on range of motion, but don't pick up anything heavy." I have almost complete extension and flexion so far. My next follow-up is first week of August. More to follow. Thanks.


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## dirtrider76 (Sep 19, 2012)

So odd, I just randomly saw this and was curious. A friend we ride with went to clear a downed tree last weekend and tore his Distal bicep tendon. Heck at first I thought this might have been his post.


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## mark_b (Mar 15, 2008)

hi 

I suffered the same injury in 2016 I was competing in the Stage race Singletrack 6 and a guy made the stupidest manaeour every trying to pass me on an elevated skinny. so he brought us both down on the last stage of the event thankfully I was able to finish the stage. anyway 

on returning home to the UK I went to see a surgeon and was advised given age 40+ not to have a repair. My arm is weaker but has not stopped me circuit training twice a week to rebuild strength also competed in the breck epic in 2017. in summary if you get surgery or not you will be fine and back riding with out issue.


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## jfaulk (Dec 18, 2017)

6 week Post-op update. At Week 4, I started physical therapy. During my assessment, the DPT found that I was at 100% range of motion and my grip strength was only slightly less than my uninjured hand. I completed a few resistance band exercises and was sent home with instructions to "gently" complete the exercises on my own as I felt comfortable. At Week 5, I had a follow-up with the surgeon. I am now able to remove the ROM brace as I feel comfortable and continue to use my arm for light "duty" around the house. At Week 6, I had another PT appt. The DPT was very happy with progress so far and I was given additional exercises at the PT appt. as well as for home. My only real issue is that I have some discomfort with supination/pronation but other than that, I am feeling pretty good.


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## IvanSoCal (Aug 23, 2017)

*Distal Biceo Tendon Rupture*



jfaulk said:


> Unfortunately, I suffered a Left Distal Biceps Tendon tear almost 2 weeks ago cleaning up a down tree. I didn't feel the "pop" that is often described with this injury, but I felt a definite tearing sensation. I knew it was damaged but unwilling to admit the severity. It took the surgeon that worked on the same arm 4 years ago about 10 seconds to decide I needed surgery to repair the tendon. I just got a new mtb a few months ago and I've been enjoying getting back into the sport. Unfortunately, this injury is going to keep me off the bike for a while. If anyone has any personal experience with this injury and repair, I am interested in hearing about it. I will try to keep this thread updated with my progress. Thanks.


Hey there, I had the same injury on Nov 20 2018. Unfortunately, surgery was not an option for me at that time due to the upcoming Black Friday rush at our bike business, so I told the doctor lets do it right after New Years. During that time, my bicep was retracted up into my arm, but I had full range of motion and only some nuisance pain from certain movements. I avoided lifting anything heavy, but could do so without consequence when I needed to. The biggest difference I felt was a weakness in turning tools at the bench- screwdrivers, allen keys, and anything that required twisting. My surgeon told me the loss of strength would be 30-50% and get worse over time, so being only 47 I opted to repair it. Surgery was 3 weeks ago and I was in a splint for the first week, switched to an adjustable brace on day 7. My incision was very large, longitudinally up my forearm, across my elbow an up onto my bicep. My main source of pain is flexion because the internal sutures get crushed. I only wear the brace when i need to (from fatigue) while sleeping and when I'm at the bench to remind me not to do anything stupid, and I otherwise just nurse the arm when working. No tools, I do everything lefty now. My surgeon does not use the interference screw from the top of the hole in the bone, because this allows more of the tendon to contact the inner circumference of the 8mm counter-bore. There's a titanium button on the other side, tied to the sutures in the tendon. One side effect of all of this is that my left arm has developed tennis elbow from over-use and hurts like hell. I'm afraid of rupturing my left bicep too. My recovery is going to be a few months, but this has not stopped me from riding the MTB two times using my left arm only. Eight mile rides in the neighborhood that is.. I am cleared by the doctor to use the indoor trainer as long as I do not do any pulling on the bars. Their main fear is over-extension or lifting an object heavier than a cup of coffee, which can pop the sutures and disconnect the tendon all over again. Seems there is little to no pain when I extend to about 90% of a straight arm, and most of it is from incision pain, so hopefully the tendon has started to bond to the bone successfully. This injury is a real bummer, I knew it would be tough. Walking down the hall to the OR in my gown, I almost bailed and turned around. I'm a road sprinter and the thought of compromising the strength of pulling on the bars was not an attractive idea. Anyway, thanks for posting this experience, let me know how you're doing now, how soon you got onto that new MTB and hopefully this helps others going through the same thing.
Cheers.


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