How long is recovery from distal bicep tendon surgery?
It takes about 3 to 4 months for your biceps muscle to heal. You may be able to do easier daily activities in 2 to 3 weeks, as long as you don’t use your injured arm. Most people who work at a desk job can return to work in 1 to 2 weeks.
When do you start physical therapy after distal bicep surgery?
Exercises for the biceps muscle are usually avoided until at least four to six weeks after surgery. Our Physical Therapist may begin by having you do light isometric strengthening exercises. These exercises work the biceps muscle without straining the healing tendon.
Is distal bicep surgery worth it?
Surgeons seem to agree that the benefit of surgery is a little more supination strength, with flexion strength returning close to normal with or without surgery. An untreated rupture causes less deformity than with proximal biceps rupture. Surgery adds a scar and does not entirely prevent deformity.
How long can you wait to repair a torn bicep?
Surgery to repair the tendon should be performed during the first 2 to 3 weeks after injury. After this time, the tendon and biceps muscle begin to scar and shorten, and it may not be possible to restore arm function with surgery.
How painful is distal bicep tendon surgery?
Your arm may be in a splint or an elbow brace for 4 to 6 weeks. You may also be in a sling for a week or so. You may feel tired and have some pain for several days. Your arm may be swollen, but the swelling should go down a little each day.
Can I lift weights after distal bicep surgery?
After the 6-week post-operative period the elbow is gradually stretched into full elbow extension and full pronation. Formal strength retraining is usually started at 2-3 months post-operative but return to sport and heavy lifting is delayed to 6 months following surgery.
How do you sleep after distal bicep surgery?
Sleeping: Many patients have difficulty sleeping after elbow surgery. You may find that sleeping in a slightly upright position (ie reclining chair) with a pillow under your forearm will be your most comfortable position. Make sure to have your pain under control before you sleep.
How long does pain last after distal bicep tendon surgery?
What is the success rate for distal bicep tendon surgery?
The review identified 7 articles including 105 patients (mean age 43.6 years) with 106 acute distal biceps ruptures. Mean follow-up was 26.3 months. Functional outcome of ROM regarding flexion/extension and pronation/supination was satisfactory in 94 (89.5%) and 86 (82%) patients in respect.
What happens if you don’t reattach a torn bicep?
However, your arm will most likely lose strength if the tendon is not repaired. Bicep tendon tears at the elbow are not common. They happen to approximately 3 to 5 people per 100,000 per year.
What is the most common complication after distal biceps tendon repair at the elbow?
The most common reported complication in the single-incision group was neurapraxia at 9.8%, while the double-incision group had greater rates of heterotopic ossification at 7%. Rerupture and failed reattachment occurred in 2.5% of single-incision cases versus 0.6% of double-incision cases.
What can you not do after bicep tendon surgery?
Do not raise your arm. If you had open surgery, do not shower until your doctor says it is okay. Most people who work at desk jobs can return to work in 1 to 2 weeks. If you lift, push, or pull at work, you may be able to return in 3 to 4 months.
How painful is distal bicep tendon repair surgery?
With time the bruising and pain will go away often in a few days to week and then the patient will just be left with a loss of strength. There is often not a significant amount of pain with complete distal biceps tendon ruptures but there is a significant loss of strength.
Can a distal bicep repair fail?
Failure of surgical fixation is rare in distal biceps tendon repair, with a recent meta-analysis reporting a rate of 0.6-2% for the varied fixation techniques [5-7]. However, complications have been well documented for both single-incision and double-incision surgical approaches.
How long does it take for a tendon to reattach to bone?
By 26 weeks, continuity between the collagen fibres of the tendon and the surrounding bone was observed throughout the length of the bone tunnel, resembling a fibrous enthesis. In a patella reattachment model in adult sheep, the healing of the bone-tendon interface generated a fibrocartilaginous enthesis35.
What happens if you don’t fix a torn bicep?
This stress can tear the tendon from the bone, and usually causes a complete tear. When you tear your bicep tendon at the elbow, your other arm muscles will compensate, so you’ll still have full range of motion. However, your arm will most likely lose strength if the tendon is not repaired.
How can I speed up tendon healing after surgery?
Full body immersion cryotherapy and localized cryotherapy can both be used to speed up tendon injury healing. The extreme cold stimulates blood flow, tissue regeneration, and boosts tendon healing.