The cosmetic appearance of the biceps muscle after long-head tenotomy versus tenodesis☆

Abstract 

Purpose: This study evaluates the cosmetic appearance of the biceps muscle after arthroscopic, intra-articular biceps tenotomy versus tenodesis by presenting subjective outcome results in patients with refractive bicipital pain. Type of Study: Retrospective study evaluating clinical follow-up of patients with refractive and chronic bicipital pain. Methods: Five consecutive years of patients receiving biceps tenotomy (80 patients; 40 males, 40 females; average age, 58 years) or tenodesis (80 patients; 51 males, 29 females; average age, 54 years) procedures were retrospectively followed-up by grading anterior shoulder pain, muscle spasms in the biceps, and cosmetic deformity of the biceps muscle. Statistics were done by χ² analysis. Results: When assessing the follow-up questions, no statistical significance was found between the biceps tenotomy and biceps tenodesis groups. There was also no statistical significance when comparing the biceps tenotomy and biceps tenodesis groups when evaluating only the men, women, and men versus women with respect to the questions assessed. Conclusions: In the majority of patients in which a biceps tenotomy is performed, we note that the cosmetic appearance of the biceps muscle, the grade of muscle spasms of the biceps, and the level of anterior shoulder pain would present with little difference than if a tenodesis had been performed. Therefore, a biceps tenotomy may be a reasonable alternative to a biceps tenodesis in patients with refractive and chronic bicipital pain.

Arthroscopy: The Journal of Arthroscopic and Related Surgery, Vol 18, No 5 (May-June), 2002: pp 483–487

Keywords:  Long head of the biceps tendon, Biceps tenodesis, Biceps tenotomy