How to Fix a Bicep Muscle Tear Around the Elbow

While a tear of the bicep muscle at the elbow is a rare injury, it can occur when the muscle is overworked or misused. When the injury occurs, it is not a tear of the muscle, but in fact a tearing of the tendon that attaches the muscle to the elbow. When this occurs, surgery is required to regain full control and strength of the bicep muscle. Do not attempt to perform surgical procedures unless you are a licensed medical professional.

Instructions

Treatment

• 1

  Contact your doctor. A trained physician will diagnose the injury and determine the proper treatment. In some cases, surgery will not be done because the patient is elderly. To regain complete control and strength of the bicep muscle, however, surgery is necessary.

• 2

  Make a small incision by the elbow. Your surgeon will also sometimes make two incisions, depending on your particular injury and the procedure. Discuss these options with your surgeon beforehand.

• 3

  Drill small holes into the surface of the bone. The surgeon will delicately drill these holes where the torn tendon is normally attached. Patients with osteoporosis or other bone diseases should discuss the danger of the surgery with their doctor.

• 4

  Stitch the torn muscle tendon into the bone or fasten into place with metal anchoring hooks. These methods ensure that muscle is properly anchored and capable of performing as well as it did before the injury.

• 5

  Close the incision with stitches, clean and bandage. To allow the stitches and muscle to properly heal, the arm is typically placed in a sling and brace. This immobilization of the arm speeds the healing process.

• 6

  Start rehabilitation. Perform the rehabilitation exercises provided by your doctor when the bicep is ready. Since recovery is often slow, carefully follow the timetable outlined by your doctor. Full recovery of strength and range of motion can be accomplished with patience and persistence.