upper limb

Distal Biceps Tendon Rupture

intermediate

6 min

28 marks

6 questions

Clinical Scenario

A 45-year-old right-hand dominant male tradesman presents 5 days after feeling a "pop" in his right elbow while lifting a heavy object. He reports pain in the antecubital fossa and difficulty with elbow flexion and forearm supination. On examination, there is bruising in the antecubital fossa, loss of normal biceps contour, and a palpable mass in the upper arm. Hook test is positive (unable to hook finger under biceps tendon).

MRI of the elbow is provided.

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Clinical image for Distal Biceps Tendon Rupture

Image source: Open Access medical literature (NIH/PubMed Central) • CC-BY License

Questions

Question 1 (4 marks)

Describe the anatomy of the distal biceps tendon including its insertion and function.

Question 2 (5 marks)

How do you clinically diagnose a distal biceps rupture? Describe the examination tests.

Question 3 (6 marks)

What imaging is used for distal biceps injuries? What are the indications for operative treatment?

Question 4 (5 marks)

Describe the surgical approaches for distal biceps repair. Compare single versus double incision techniques.

Question 5 (4 marks)

What are the fixation options for distal biceps repair?

Question 6 (4 marks)

What are the complications and expected outcomes of distal biceps repair?