"Completely avulsed" distal biceps tendon here. Thanks for the video. Here doing way too much googling and searching before I see the orthopedic surgeon next week. Surgery for me and my career is a must. Slightly terrified 😅. Thanks for the video again, highly informative.
Hey! I'm sure that he explained it the best he could. But most surgeons are taught to bring the patient back to an average baseline of health. My videos are a little biased towards people who want to be above this "baseline" Glad my videos help! How did you injure your arm??
I am going into surgery today for my ruptured bicep tendon. I'm so glad I found your videos and they have really helped me with my decision making process. They also gives me a lot of hope of recovering faster than the ortho has suggested.
Hey Chris! Im sorry to hear about your injury. Wishing for a good surgery and speedy recovery. Im glad you found the channel and I’m happy to hear it’s bringing you value!! The recovery process is very quick! You can see the progression in my videos. Every week you notice that you get back to normality. Try to stay positive/active through the first week or so, that’s the worst part, once you’re out of it, you’ll be good!
@@Dr.JayDMD your progression is so impressive! I’m really looking forward to getting going on the rehab part. As someone that’s so active it certainly will be difficult these first few weeks. Thanks so much for these encouraging videos!
@@MrsLP-ht8jy I have very little residual effects from the injury and am less than a year out. I can do everything I could do before the surgery at this point. Without the surgery there's no way I would be able to do everything I do. It's a personal decision for sure.
Keep up the good content! I am just over 4 weeks post op using the endobutton on a chronic repair 6 weeks, 3 days post injury due to hospital delay. So far so good 🤞🏻
@@Dr.JayDMD my arm feels fine tbh, I’m not aloud to extend beyond 30 degrees for another 1.5 weeks but I have full wrist mobility and my supination/probation isn’t back yet. All pain subsided for me after 3 days post surgery. The tendon feels pretty big though, I’d say bigger than my other arm but I’m guessing that’s normal as it’s repairing still. How about yourself?
Hey what's up buddy thanks for the video I really appreciate all the information!! I'm hoping you can reply. I tore my right distal bicep tendon 5 years ago. I went the conservative route but I knew 1 day I would injure it again and it happened 2 weeks ago. I'm getting an MRI tomorrow and I'm scheduling to meet up with the orthopedic surgeon. I seriously regret not getting surgery the first time but I'm hoping this time we can get this surgery done this time!!! 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽
this sounds a bit like me, i fully tore my right last December and had it successfully repaired 6 weeks later and was back to preinjury by month 6. i damaged/tore my other 7 years ago, it had elongated about 2-3 cm without tearing by the bone insertion point and had it operated on 2 weeks ago. he cut it off the bone and removed 2-3cm of bad tissue and reattached it with the endobutton. this one feels a lot better already but i put that down to it never fully tearing from the bone. i hope you get the help you need! good luck.
Thanks for the video. Very informative. I am three weeks post ops. I am in a lot of pain. Hopefully this will pass in 3 weeks time. I am starting physio on monday. I ll buy one of those braces your wearing
I got the surgery two years ago. Ironically, the only problem I had from the surgery had nothing to do with my biceps. I got horrible shoulder impingement from being in the brace, and although it has drastically improved, I have yet to fully get rid of it. Also, even though my surgeon told me that, once healed, the biceps tendon will be as strong, if not stronger, than before the rupture, I’m still mentally apprehensive to lift heavy or to make plyometric motions with the arm.
I never realized how important bicep is in supination but if you feel your bicep and turn your hand up you can feel it. It makes sense knowing that supinated grip chin up work the bicep, but even just entering the supinates grip flexes the bicep I didn't realize that
I went down the conservative route a year and a half ago at the orthopaedic surgeons suggestion. You don't realise how much supination you do day today until you cant.. opening doors, cooking, etc. Such small things trigger pain and my arm is essentially useless. I'm going down the surgical route this week as a result. Great video!
Hey Rohan! I appreciate the comment! It’s nice to hear about someone’s experience 1 year into the conservative route. Good luck with your surgery! How did you initially rupture your bicep tendon?
@@Dr.JayDMD no problem! I wish I had videos like this when it happened. UA-cam Content for this injury was all very similar and limited at the time. Freak injury. I was pushing a box on the floor at work I had moved a dozen times before. As I pushed it I bent my left arm, heard 4 pops and that was it!
2019 I've ruptured my left biceps while boxing. After 48h I was cast free. I did light body movement in the pool and I've trained lower body normalny. Yesterday I did my right biceps. Boxing again. After 48 h I will take the case off. All the people I know who were using the cast had mobility problems for months.
Watching your video at 1 am laying in a hospital in Kuala Lumpur after an Armbar at a BJJ Competion. I am too are a Dentist and evenso I love training, my work and my Patienta are even more important to me. How long did it take you to get back to work Brother? I must admit I went through some dark hours in the last 2 days. Your Video gives me hope and I need hope.
I have a partial tear 2 weeks, still kinda of weak and still healing but will get get MRI on friday to see how much i've torn, the doc said my tendon is still attached to the bone but we don't know by how much. If I can avoid surgery i will. resting and rehabbing and after Friday i guess we would know how bad the tear is. Moving a dresser, heard a pop, i'm 49 years old, what hurts most is when i do sudden moves with my left arm, hurts right in front of the elbow. Also what sucks most for me is that i have a torn labrum on my opposite arm when i injured my left hand. They treated it with a cortisone shot so its okay for now but not being able to use both arms at full strength has me bummed.
Distally ruptured my biceps tendon 3 days ago. Consultant at hospital advised against surgery and to go live with it. He said that in America they often perform surgery because of the amount of money involved. My concern is that here in the UK our health service is on its knees and so adding me to a surgery list adds burden to the service. Not sure what to believe tbh. For now, I’m going with non-surgery 🤷♂️
I'm 19 months post op distal bicep surgery. Made it back to normal strength in 6 months. 12 months back to above normal strength except bicep I had surgery on out of caution. I'm doing 35 pounds bicep curls high reps instead of going back to 50 pounds yet. And if anyone wanna check my channel out I have a few videos on how to be able to continue to do traps, shoulders, and back without actually using that hand to hold anything using fitness bands. Helped me alot doing those to minimize muscle loss on shoulders, back, and traps.
I am 1 week out from surgery, and I have to say, it's annoying being cast from hand to underarm. I was hoping to have my wrist at least. However, I did work out 4 times this week, one ab day, one quad day, one just walking on the elliptical and one hamstring day. I'll probably wash, rinse, repeat, till I get my arm strength back.
Ruptured my left bicep tendon about a month and a half ago. I'm 53, a software developer, workout 3-4 times a week but not a heavy weight lifter. Choose not to have the surgery. I'm actually shocked at how much I can still do. I hardly notice anything happened now. Unless I'm trying to tighten a bold with my left hand. So far, glad I didn't have the surgery. Just not worth the risks for me and so far I have no regrets. I just hope it stays that way because they told me after about 2-3 weeks, surgery no longer an option.
Yeah - my situation is a lot like yours. I'm also in the same industry as you and tore mine back in mid January. I came close to having the surgery but based on how well my arm was feeling I decided against it. Now, going into April, I don't even notice it as my arm feels the same as it did before I tore it and I'm still able to use it to lift heavy stuff when doing yard work in. I went to a PT and he has me lifting weights every other day to strengthen my arm and shoulder. He said he sees a lot of folks who had never had the surgery and they are doing fine 10 to 15 years later after they originally tore theirs. For me, it was a good choice not having surgery, but for others it may make more sense to have it repaired.
I’m 3.5 weeks post button repair of tear in my dominant right arm. I’m a fit 52yr old male and normally do heavy compound exercises in the gym and run. Had surgery 48hrs after injury (I work in theatre as an anaesthetist and surgeon operated on me quickly) IMO the range of motion (ROM) splint is a waste of time - hard to put on and off and very limiting. I think it is way too conservative. The endo button repair is actually very strong and intra-operatinely the surgeon has already fully extended the repaired biceps ie full range if extension - so you could actually fully “range” it without fear of re-rupture. However, it will hurt. Best not to start “ranging” to “feeling of stretch” until 3 weeks (but do this gently several times a day) and then become more aggressive after 6 weeks (when bone has largely formed over the tendon insertion) I used a standard sling strictly for 2 weeks and then largely out of sling now unless at the gym or driving (don’t want a sudden reflexive supination or severe extension) I’m really going well. Exercises I’m doing are: Heavy-ish (120-130kg) barbell squats balancing the barbell on my traps/shoulders with one arm in sling and lesser reps - if anything happens (it hasn’t) just step forward and the barbell an bumper plates simply fall to floor. I put 5kg extra on the side with sling to balance the barbell better. Hack squats on machine Stair climber Lots of jogging Back hyperextensions with arm out of sling and full ROM of both shoulders squeezing my shoulder blades into each other for hard holds while holding the hyperextended position for at least 1-2mins Lateral deltoid raises with a machine with the pad placed proximal to elbow Triceps extensions on a seated machine with affected elbow extending actively and then guided back passively Hand gripper exercises - multiple times while lying in bed and elbow at 90 degrees. Do this until forearm muscles burn. Make sure there is no chance of supination When you do this) I am carrying cups of tea etc with affected arm and will gradually load more over the next few weeks - importantly this loading of biceps is at 90 degrees flexion position so at the most mechanical advantage position for the muscle. Most flexion is normally by brachialis anyway not biceps. I am not actively loading supination though (this is mostly performed by biceps so not advisable yet) ….just gently supinating to point of discomfort without any load and biceps at 90 degrees flexion All coming together really well Expecting to be loading my biceps more - doing dips and push-ups at the 2 - 2.5 months mark onwards. Will isolate load biceps heavily (curls etc) at the 4 month mark I think - not an important exercise Really important to exercise every day as above and keep that metabolic stimulus going strong and synergistic muscles and adjacent joints in full Really think your ROM splint is way too conservative Only role for these is the old fashion heavy suture repairs and also for delayed surgery when tendon grafts etc has been needed because tendon was so retracted. Hope this helps people. PS: It’s common to get neuropraxia (pins, needles, numbness) in lateral cutaneous nerve of forearm distribution. It’s really annoying but is expect recovery over the next couple of months.
I don't know if we just do things differently here in Canada but I'm almost 2 weeks post op. I never had a cast at all. I wore a sling most of the time for about a week. When I went for my two week appointment I was told the button and sutures are plenty strong to start working on my range of motion and liftings few pounds and just using my arm and gently pushing as much as comfortable. No brace of anything. I'm already probably about 10-15 degrees from straight already. I'm really not sure why my experience and directions are so different but I'll certainly be asking at the 6 week appointment because that's a pretty drastic difference
Thanks - this is a great video as it is very insightful. I do have a question for you and others on here. I have surgery coming up and it sounds like the Doctor will have me in a soft cast for 3 or 4 weeks. Is this typical? Seems like a lot of time with arm immobilized.
Welcome brother I hope you are in good health. I recently had my biceps tendon repaired 5 weeks ago and I am still in the physical therapy phase. There is a feeling of tearing again, and what are the best methods to prevent tearing again? Thank you very much, brother.
Hey bro! Hope you’re a doing well! Are you still being followed by your doctor? If you have any pain or feeling of “tearing” you should let him know so he can do a proper assessment
So I tore my distal bicep tendon last year and never got a cast or the limiting brace. I was bandaged up for 2 weeks then was told to start stretching it out slowly I recovered pretty fast and have had no issues. I started training pretty soon after I had range of motion I had two buttons placed to hold the tendon My Dr said he’s been doing it this way for a few years and has had no complications in a patient.
Whats the total length of recovery? How long after rupture did you have surgery. I ruptured my distal bicep 💪 4 weeks ago Meeting surgeon in a few days.
I am about 6wks out on my distal bicep repair, the nerve damage is still pretty bad in the forearm area but is getting better, I have most movement back but the tricep is non existent, the like totally disappeared, so as weeks pass I am hoping that it will start to come back, and at therapy I am still working on just arm movements, no weight bearing as of yet
Hey Trevor! Sorry to hear about your injury! How did it happen? Were there any complications in the surgery? The tricep will come back faster than the bicep. Its just been casted/immobilized for so long that its lost most of its glycogen stores, thus looks like it shrank. But most of that is water/glycogen loss and not actually muscle atrophy. Everyone progresses at their own rate. Just keep up the exercises your physio is giving you and you'll be back to normal before you now it!
@@Dr.JayDMD my injury was caused by taking a replacement door out of my wife's van, I was lowering it down and as it was coming down it kinda got away from me so I grabbed it kinda quick and that is when I felt the snap, it was 70 percent of the way torn, so my surgeon said my decision to get it fixed was wise, and I have not had any complications as of yet, I play drums at a local church and tried to play some yesterday and it was not feeling good so I stopped doing that for now, I am 54 so my recovery will be longer than people in there 20s
@@justinvdvelden no numbness in the hand and now most of the feeling is back in the wrist area, my grip is still at 90lbs on the left and the right hand is at 130lbs, while at work lifting tires is getting easier, so most strength is coming back, and I am happy for that
Doctors i talked to were unanimous that surgery was recomended for someone who is not old and active in lifting and sports. I was not much decided at firtst after watching E3 Rehab videos on the topic, since the guy recovered back to a very strong shape without surgery, but i think doing it was the correct decision.
I watched that video before I made my decision as well.. I think he mentions that the main reason he chose the conservative route was because he did not have any insurance coverage for the surgical route.. I could be wrong though
@@Dr.JayDMD I’ve seen that video I thought he didn’t get the surgery because he was about to have a kid but again could be wrong. For me the biggest reason to get the surgery is I could feel the tendon in my arm, it didn’t retract much past my elbow but feeling it there doing nothing and the bicep just slowly dying I couldn’t mentally get over.
I’m trying to find resources on what the options for a partial tear are. My Dr is not sure what I have. Tho I did get an MRI last night. He’s saying he’ll do surgery if fully torn and no surgery if partially torn. I’m and athlete and think I want surgery regardless.
Yes, so depending on where the tendon ruptured, there would be different treatment options available. Most ruptures happen clean off the bone. Such as mine. Thus, re-inserting (drilling) back into the radial tuberosity is what my ortho accomplished.
Hi I've jsut torn my long head bicep I train 6 days a week in crossfit and surf how long do u think before I can go back to these sports and should I stop the crossfit ???
I had the same Injury a half year ago. I make No Surgery because iam 53. Now, it is perfekt. No Problems in my life. It is now 90% like bevor, so iam Happy without surgery. The risc of Problems with nervs after the surgery is very High. For me, it was too high. Now i have no Problems without my Bizepsmuscle, the Muscle Musculus Brachialis make the work. 😎
Risk of injury to lateral cutaneous nerve of forearm is 30-50% - pins and needles and numbness that usually completely recovers. Is because if retraction if nerve during surgery. Most concerning nerve complication is posterior interosseous nerve injury in around 1-3%. Causes wrist drop for many months and almost always recovers completely. Strongly recommend repair if you are into fitness and strength training. Also if you use hands a lot in trade work like screwdrivers etc - you will lose more than 60% of your supination strength if no surgical repair. It’s an easy course of recovery with button repair.
Almost 3 weeks post op. Cast is off and in the brace. Did you find pain when adding more degrees of extension every week? Just not sure what is normal and when to be concerned as far as pain and discomfort.
Hey Jack! No necessarily pain, but definitely some sort of discomfort as you stretch out the tendon/bicep. Slow and steady wins the race with stretches. How is your mobility now? I'm sure your back to 100% by now!
@@Dr.JayDMD not 100% yet. At 100% of extension but still not permitted to use the muscle at all for about another month before I can start rebuilding. Started physio for range of motion. Mostly the pain is in my wrist and fingers
I just had my first post op doctor visit and they advised me to not use the sling attachment. How did you keep your stabilizer brace to stay put and not slip down?
Hey bro Do you have the same brace as me? I had to adjust mine so that the distance between the two straps were closer together. That way I could tighten it and it wouldn’t slip down. Happy to hear the surgery and rehab is going well! How did you injure your bicep??
@@Dr.JayDMD I have the Donjoy brace, looks just like yours but different probably different company. I’ve adjusted my straps to the point of pain and it still slides down. I found wearing a compression sleeve slows the slide, but still does it. I helping a buddy of mine move some used gym equipment he purchased, on to his balcony. The main culprit was these large and heavy rubber mat that was apparently made for horses. Was trying to push it into place when my bicep popped.
Man I see my dr on Monday. I’m nervous since I have never had this done. Never had a surgery, kind of scares me. I’m 34 and I think ima get the surgery. I work in the field, union brother. Definitely can’t picture myself without my bicep. Clean off the bone. Last Thursday. Crazy how I feel no pain, small bruising tho. Did my mri yesterday and they told me today the results. Seeing the orthopedic dr Monday to see when the surgery needs to happen 😢😅
I'm 34 and just had my distal bicep tendon repaired about ten days ago. The way I understood it, if you want a chance to be back to 100%, this is pretty much the only option. I also had little to no pain from the injury itself. But the surgery is a real surgery, and you'll feel it. Still, I would have it again.
@@Dr.JayDMD thanks for the reply. I’m 2 months post surgery, back to full ROM. Working on light weights, supination, and pronation. Great videos by the way!
How long after your injury did you get surgery? They scheduled me 3 weeks and 2 days out and I'm kind of disappointed. My surgery is in 2 days and today is 3 weeks from injury and from some things I read online you should get this done immediately. Definitely within the first two weeks. I can feel the tendon getting hard in my arm and that concerns me. I knew I shouldn't have trusted this surgeon but it's too late now and I got to get this done ASAP.
Hey Eric! I think it was just around the 2 week mark (maybe 1-2 days after). Don't stress too much about the delay. Some people on here waited as long as 4-6 weeks from day of injury and they rehabbed their tendon completely! How did you rupture the tendon?? Wishing you a speedy recovery!
@@Dr.JayDMD Thanks for the reply. I was lifting a heavy bass guitar speaker box and I had my hand palm up and fully extended. Just like you see with preacher curls in the gym. I'm 51, so I hope recovery isn't too bad for my aging body. I'm having it done at UVA orthopedics in Charlottesville. The University of Virginia is a teaching hospital. They have good reviews and the surgeon, while she seems somewhat arrogant, does seem very sharp.
@@ericy1005 Age is just a number my friend. Keep your head up! Just put the work in the rehab process and you’ll be just fine. And arrogance is a character trait most orthopaedic surgeons have haha. So don’t let that deter you 😂
@@Dr.JayDMD Cool, thanks! Surgeons do kind of think they play God but I hope they also remember the human body has a heck of a lot to do with it too. The magic is in the healing and the surgeon has very little to do with that. They simply attach it like a mechanical engineer. I figure if she's cocky and arrogant and still has a job and most of the reviews online are good then she must be good. Actually the only bad reviews online were about her personality and not about her work. And let's be honest, when we go in for surgery we're not trying to make a friend, we're looking for a professional. I'm a little nervous, but all should go well. I'm kind of a controlling guy with an electrical engineering background and I do a lot of my own stuff on the house and cars and whatnot, so letting someone do something for me is difficult. If I could perform the surgery myself I would. LoL. Anyway, thanks again for the replies, It puts me a little bit at ease.
Just got it done at 62... 5 and a half weeks after due to workman's comp insurance incompetence. Even so, the doc said it went "perfectly" and I should have a full recovery. Listen to your doctor, and do the right thing for you. I'm glad I did it.
@@Dr.JayDMD yes still have it. I’m 5 weeks post op my dr. Said it most like minimize to a smaller area but it won’t go away. Still feels numb and it’s in the inner part of my forearm.
Hello everyone. About 7 years ago I fully tore my left bicep tendon. I had the surgery to repair the tendon and everything went well. I experienced little to no issues. Just the pain after the surgery. I eventually was able to get back in the gym and lift weights with little to no limitations. The left arms feels normal. About 8 weeks ago I tore my right bicep tendon. The MRI showed a high grade tear. The surgeon suggested I try PT to see if I regain my strength. The healing has been a very slow process but my arm feels better. However, I''m at a higher risk of fully tearing the tendon. I am on the fence about getting the surgery to fully repair the tendon or just wait and see. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!
get the surgery! i fully tore my right in December 2022 and had it fixed 6 weeks later and went back to my labour job without issues 14 weeks later. in 2016 i also did something to my left arm but couldn't get help from my countries health care as they didn't seem worried even though my bicep moved a inch up my arm. I got no mri but had a strong hook test. i made a full recovery for 2 years until it started aching, fatiguing and getting worse. my countries health care sent me to a professional and I am now 1 week post op with the endobutton. the surgeon said the tendon elongated from the bone but didn't tear completely. I am guessing it was frayed from the bone. he removed 2.3cm of bad tissue and reattached it. that lingering ache is gone. I am already allowed to move my arm a bit which is nice. I was lucky as my bicep and the rest of the tendon was perfectly healthy and no graphs needed. reattached after being damaged 7 years earlier lol
@@Rawbchu thank you very much for sharing your experience. I had my second opinion today and the doctor recommends getting it fixed because the tendon will fully tear at some point.
@@louatlas3590 great choice, i would recommend jays videos. i followed these for my own rehab to as my other op was a week before his. good luck on the recovery mate.
I have to take the same decision for tomorrow im so lost ... im a carpenter my dexterity is freaking important ... i dont know what to do ... im scared about the nerve damage ...
I think carpentry is one of the professions where they usually lead you towards the surgery. I know exactly how you feel, I was contemplating doing the non-surgical route because of all the complications that can accompany the surgical route.. At the end of the day, just know that the chance of complications happening are very low, and this is a very common injury/surgery. My orthopedic surgeon told me it was his "bread and butter", meaning he does a lot of them. That helped me feel more comfortable with my decision.. and so far so good! :)
I don't know what you did, but I hope you chose to have surgery. A working man needs all of his abilities. I'm a steel hauler/steelworker... they wouldn't release me back to work if I didn't get it done... at 62-years-old.
@@kennygo8300 hi kenny , yes i choose the surgery, im now 8 week post op and im back at 75% of my initial strengh, i feel really good. I came back to work two week ago with light work , im really happy i made the right decision.
Bs, if you can afford it do it. Be honest, if doesn’t matter what industry your are in, we all want to get back to pre-injury state. There might be some exceptions but the vast majority would want to regain their strength and mobility.
@@Dr.JayDMD Hello patients. After 5 days removed from sling for free movement. no painkillers required after day 5. Had my PostOp wk1 follow up with my surgeon. pain and stiffness in arm when pronating or supinating. Extension about 90%. pins/needles/numbness where wrist/hand meet. Tensor bandage removed by nurse. Sutures can be removed in 1 week. Go back for surgeon appt. in 5 weeks (6 wks PostOp) will discuss physiotherapy. No lifting for at least 6 weeks. 4-6 months for close to full recovery.
all... I hope my info has some value. Thanks Jay for hosting this. My tendon stump was retracted above the level of the elbow joint line by approximately 9.1 cm.
Post Op wk2 completed. 95% extension without pain. Supination and pronation a little more range. Wrist near hand still numb. Lifted up handwipes supinated to put in washroom cabinet about chest high. Felt a small pop in bicep. Then some acute pain. Above elbow a small muscle ball started to appear over next 10 min. 2hrs later a bee tried to enter the front door. Without thinking I took a subtle backhand at the bee extending the arm. I felt another small pop as I extended and felt acute pain in the becep area. Hoping this is the bicep reacting in a positive manner rather than potential issues down the rehab trail. The most difficult part thus far is training the mind to not use my left arm.
If you are being followed by an orthopedic surgeon, he would have the best idea of whether it is "too late" or not. Most studies show that surgery within 2 weeks of injury have the "best" results. What that really means is that there are less complications if the surgery is done within that time period. What it doesn't mean is that, surgery done outside that window is useless. Goodluck! ps. How did you injure your arm?!
Quick update! It's the 5th day after the surgery of right arm tendon rupture, and I have no pain or numbness. I've started using my left hand for daily tasks. The only issue is that my operated hand is slightly swollen. All in all, I have no regrets about having the surgery; in fact, I'm looking forward to a full recovery. My insurance covered the surgical expenses at the renowned Dr. Miroslav Zotović Institute in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The package includes a 4-week rehabilitation in the orthopedic-physiotherapy spa in Slatina in the same city after 28 days of rest, all for the price of $35. It's been worth investing in health insurance! If it's not a secret, what are the costs of the surgery in America? Warm regards and thanks for motivating me to choose the surgery! Stay strong! 💪"
Hey @Iam19bo Hope your surgery went well! Keep me updated with your rehab process! How did you injure your bicep?? I don't think lifting 20-35kg boxes will be asking too much of your new distal bicep tendon! A proper rehab protocol should have you back to near 100%. Take your time before returning to work. You see me lifting similar weights in my videos but I'm only doing it while I'm at the gym for an hour or so.. It's different when you are doing it for 8 hours each work day. Its a lot more taxing to the muscle/tendon.
@Dr.JayDMD hi,surgery will be today. We were pushing carcasses along a rail,I saw it was going to fall off so I put my arm out to grab it. Arm was fully extended and I felt I rip straight away.
Hey Steven! Sorry to hear about your injury. How did it happen? Have you been diagnosed? Usually the orthopaedic surgeon will give you treatment options once they do their clinical/radiographic evaluation. From what I remember, if the tendon is more than 50% torn, your surgeon will most likely offer surgery.
@@Dr.JayDMD I was bowling, shockingly. Hadn't bowled in years, picked up a slightly heavier ball, and it happened as I was putting spin on the ball (turning my supination to pronation) and it popped twice. Bicep tendon is def still attached, just pulled away slightly causing the bicep to sit slightly higher. Bruising covered my whole arm. Imaging is today, then appt with the Ortho asap incase I need surgery
@@Dr.JayDMD I powerlift, so getting back to as close to 100% as possible is crucial for me. And you're right, I def don't know the percentage of tear yet, just assuming it's pretty bad based off of the bruising, pain, and lack of strength. Thanks doc
@@stevenneese2823 I feel you. I don’t compete, but I love lifting heavy. From what I’ve seen online, most people are able to rehab the injury back to their previous fitness/strength level! So stay positive. Also, just to note: I’ve noticed that bruising isn’t necessarily correlated to injury severity. Mine tore right off the bone and I didn’t have ANY swelling or bruising. So keep your head up, it prob not be as bad as you think!
Anyone have experience with partial ruptures? Its unclear how much of my tendon is left but there's definitely a 3 finger gap between the elbow and biceps. Consulted 4 specialists and half of them want surgery, the other half no. So frustrating 😂
How big is the gap in the non-injured side? From what I know, most surgeons treat partial ruptures the same and full ruptures.. meaning, that if you don't have any contraindications to the procedure, they'll most likely suggest surgery. What are you leaning more towards?
@@Dr.JayDMD the healthy side is 1.5 finger. In other words 33% gap on the injured vs 16% on the healthy. I've booked a surgery in 8 days (2.5 weeks after the injury) but still unsure whether to take it or not. One of the doctors told me that the tear would heal in a few months while others said that I need a surgery asap 😂 I used to do hundreds of pullups and dumbbell curls with 70lbs weights, so would really like to get back to that one day.
@@andremuller1252 what did you end up doing? I partially tore mine less than 50% and was told by 2 orthos that surgery wasn’t needed. I’m into weighted calisthenics and would like to continue that after a few months of healing. Did a PRP injection and that seemed to help.
@AlfaAK101 every once in a while I felt pain. I wasn't able to pull just push. And I specifically asked the surgeon, will I be able to do pull-ups again and he said yes, so I opted in.
Just had this done three days ago. I'm 62. I'm VERY healthy. Driving a steel truck requires full use of my arm... all day long. The doctors literally pushed me to repair. Since I'll probably work another 8 to 10 years... it's the right decision for me. If you're young... get it repaired. Jesus! You don't know what your life will bring. When you need it, you need it. Don't think "good enough" about your life. It's YOUR life! What are you worth? BTW, I have the exact same brace on my arm right now. The idea that it will be there for 6 weeks, kind of depresses me.
Hey Kenny! I love that mindset. I agree with you! I am very happy I decided to undergo surgery! Lucky they didn't put you in that very restrictive plaster cast! How did the injury happen?? I wish you a speedy recovery!
Hey @godlikeexcellence1201 Totally agree, the Medical field is a business in the US. Luckily that's not where I live :) Taking into consideration the complications that may arise during surgery, I think the conservative route is an amazing option for most! But I also think there is a reason why MOST (if not all) professional athletes choose the surgical route and not the conservative therapy. The statistics and studies show that there are benefits at the top end. Like I state in the my video, I recommend the surgery if you NEED/WANT a level of strength/fatiguability to return to your arm. My surgeon friends making money would just be a bonus ;)
@@ozjohn8657 science says rehab is just as effective. Read papers. Surgery they put screws inside your bone that never dissolve. I wouldn’t call that a 100% fix. Some people comment here saying that they still have pain even after surgery. People should definitely get a surgery if they have a full thickness tear, other than that god knows, current surgery technique doesn’t look effective. It’s just screws drilled into a bone to hold your tendon with little threads. Very primitive and useless looking. I hope in future they find a way to attach the tendon without screws and threads. Stem sell therapy looks good but very expensive now
@@godlikeexcellence1201 What we’re talking about here is a complete tear and screws and threads are not used. In this procedure a hole is drilled in the bone and the end of the tendon is sutured and pulled into that hole and held in place. These sutures are extremely strong and meant to hold the tendon in place as the bone and tendon heal together creating a connection that is stronger than it was before. It is stronger than it was before because the tendon isn’t just connected to the surface of the bone. It is now inside the bone as they heal together creating a stronger connection. Nothing primitive or useless about it. Stem cell therapy can also be used to help the healing process after surgery. I call it a 100% fix because you can regain 100% mobility and strength after surgery. Something you won’t have without surgery.
"Completely avulsed" distal biceps tendon here. Thanks for the video. Here doing way too much googling and searching before I see the orthopedic surgeon next week. Surgery for me and my career is a must. Slightly terrified 😅. Thanks for the video again, highly informative.
Good luck I had my surgery 3 weeks ago. In a lot of pain. Please god in 3 months time I'll be back to normal
This was a very succinct and helpful reasoning for chosing this surgery. Thanks.
Currently in med school and this video def giving me more insights on the patient perspective . Thank you!
They say if it's done right it's a stronger connection than your born with, as long as you let it heal slowly
Far better explanation than I got from my surgeon. Thanks.
Hey!
I'm sure that he explained it the best he could. But most surgeons are taught to bring the patient back to an average baseline of health. My videos are a little biased towards people who want to be above this "baseline"
Glad my videos help!
How did you injure your arm??
I am going into surgery today for my ruptured bicep tendon. I'm so glad I found your videos and they have really helped me with my decision making process. They also gives me a lot of hope of recovering faster than the ortho has suggested.
Hey Chris!
Im sorry to hear about your injury. Wishing for a good surgery and speedy recovery.
Im glad you found the channel and I’m happy to hear it’s bringing you value!!
The recovery process is very quick! You can see the progression in my videos. Every week you notice that you get back to normality. Try to stay positive/active through the first week or so, that’s the worst part, once you’re out of it, you’ll be good!
@@Dr.JayDMD your progression is so impressive! I’m really looking forward to getting going on the rehab part. As someone that’s so active it certainly will be difficult these first few weeks. Thanks so much for these encouraging videos!
Are you glad you had it. Im trying to decide why to go
@@MrsLP-ht8jy I have very little residual effects from the injury and am less than a year out. I can do everything I could do before the surgery at this point. Without the surgery there's no way I would be able to do everything I do. It's a personal decision for sure.
Thank you. The possible nerve damage bothers me and the long recovery is stressful
This was great info. Thanks so much fot tsking the time
Keep up the good content!
I am just over 4 weeks post op using the endobutton on a chronic repair 6 weeks, 3 days post injury due to hospital delay.
So far so good 🤞🏻
We are pretty much at the same stage in recovery.
How do you feel? I think the 4th week feels a lot closer to normal! @Rawbchu
@@Dr.JayDMD my arm feels fine tbh, I’m not aloud to extend beyond 30 degrees for another 1.5 weeks but I have full wrist mobility and my supination/probation isn’t back yet.
All pain subsided for me after 3 days post surgery.
The tendon feels pretty big though, I’d say bigger than my other arm but I’m guessing that’s normal as it’s repairing still.
How about yourself?
Appreciate the video
Hey what's up buddy thanks for the video I really appreciate all the information!! I'm hoping you can reply. I tore my right distal bicep tendon 5 years ago. I went the conservative route but I knew 1 day I would injure it again and it happened 2 weeks ago. I'm getting an MRI tomorrow and I'm scheduling to meet up with the orthopedic surgeon. I seriously regret not getting surgery the first time but I'm hoping this time we can get this surgery done this time!!! 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽
this sounds a bit like me, i fully tore my right last December and had it successfully repaired 6 weeks later and was back to preinjury by month 6. i damaged/tore my other 7 years ago, it had elongated about 2-3 cm without tearing by the bone insertion point and had it operated on 2 weeks ago.
he cut it off the bone and removed 2-3cm of bad tissue and reattached it with the endobutton.
this one feels a lot better already but i put that down to it never fully tearing from the bone.
i hope you get the help you need! good luck.
Thanks for the video. Very informative. I am three weeks post ops. I am in a lot of pain. Hopefully this will pass in 3 weeks time.
I am starting physio on monday. I ll buy one of those braces your wearing
I got the surgery two years ago. Ironically, the only problem I had from the surgery had nothing to do with my biceps. I got horrible shoulder impingement from being in the brace, and although it has drastically improved, I have yet to fully get rid of it. Also, even though my surgeon told me that, once healed, the biceps tendon will be as strong, if not stronger, than before the rupture, I’m still mentally apprehensive to lift heavy or to make plyometric motions with the arm.
I never realized how important bicep is in supination but if you feel your bicep and turn your hand up you can feel it. It makes sense knowing that supinated grip chin up work the bicep, but even just entering the supinates grip flexes the bicep I didn't realize that
Thanks for this video! Can you please tell me the name of the protector on your arm ?
I went down the conservative route a year and a half ago at the orthopaedic surgeons suggestion. You don't realise how much supination you do day today until you cant.. opening doors, cooking, etc. Such small things trigger pain and my arm is essentially useless. I'm going down the surgical route this week as a result.
Great video!
Hey Rohan!
I appreciate the comment! It’s nice to hear about someone’s experience 1 year into the conservative route.
Good luck with your surgery!
How did you initially rupture your bicep tendon?
@@Dr.JayDMD no problem! I wish I had videos like this when it happened. UA-cam Content for this injury was all very similar and limited at the time.
Freak injury. I was pushing a box on the floor at work I had moved a dozen times before. As I pushed it I bent my left arm, heard 4 pops and that was it!
@@rohaniscool 4 pops how it is possible!!... there is one tendon in elbow joint
Did you have a partial tear or a full tear?
@@arnab_d9 no idea mate, I assume 4 small sections of it at a time?
2019 I've ruptured my left biceps while boxing. After 48h I was cast free. I did light body movement in the pool and I've trained lower body normalny. Yesterday I did my right biceps. Boxing again. After 48 h I will take the case off. All the people I know who were using the cast had mobility problems for months.
Watching your video at 1 am laying in a hospital in Kuala Lumpur after an Armbar at a BJJ Competion. I am too are a Dentist and evenso I love training, my work and my Patienta are even more important to me. How long did it take you to get back to work Brother? I must admit I went through some dark hours in the last 2 days. Your Video gives me hope and I need hope.
How you making out? Same mechanism of injury here
I have a partial tear 2 weeks, still kinda of weak and still healing but will get get MRI on friday to see how much i've torn, the doc said my tendon is still attached to the bone but we don't know by how much. If I can avoid surgery i will. resting and rehabbing and after Friday i guess we would know how bad the tear is. Moving a dresser, heard a pop, i'm 49 years old, what hurts most is when i do sudden moves with my left arm, hurts right in front of the elbow. Also what sucks most for me is that i have a torn labrum on my opposite arm when i injured my left hand. They treated it with a cortisone shot so its okay for now but not being able to use both arms at full strength has me bummed.
Distally ruptured my biceps tendon 3 days ago. Consultant at hospital advised against surgery and to go live with it. He said that in America they often perform surgery because of the amount of money involved. My concern is that here in the UK our health service is on its knees and so adding me to a surgery list adds burden to the service.
Not sure what to believe tbh.
For now, I’m going with non-surgery 🤷♂️
IAM going with no surgery too. And now.... Its totaly OK. 🙏😁 Nö Problems. Totaly normal life
@@LegionBavaria you lost 40% of your strength
socialism sucks. shoulda done the surgery.
@@FriarPop no, Just 15 to 20 %
@@LegionBavaria that's impossible, several docs said 35 to 40% loss, not lifting but twisting
I'm 19 months post op distal bicep surgery. Made it back to normal strength in 6 months. 12 months back to above normal strength except bicep I had surgery on out of caution. I'm doing 35 pounds bicep curls high reps instead of going back to 50 pounds yet. And if anyone wanna check my channel out I have a few videos on how to be able to continue to do traps, shoulders, and back without actually using that hand to hold anything using fitness bands. Helped me alot doing those to minimize muscle loss on shoulders, back, and traps.
Made it back to normal strength in 6 months. 12 months back to normal strength???
I am 1 week out from surgery, and I have to say, it's annoying being cast from hand to underarm. I was hoping to have my wrist at least. However, I did work out 4 times this week, one ab day, one quad day, one just walking on the elliptical and one hamstring day. I'll probably wash, rinse, repeat, till I get my arm strength back.
Ruptured my left bicep tendon about a month and a half ago. I'm 53, a software developer, workout 3-4 times a week but not a heavy weight lifter. Choose not to have the surgery. I'm actually shocked at how much I can still do. I hardly notice anything happened now. Unless I'm trying to tighten a bold with my left hand. So far, glad I didn't have the surgery. Just not worth the risks for me and so far I have no regrets. I just hope it stays that way because they told me after about 2-3 weeks, surgery no longer an option.
Yeah - my situation is a lot like yours. I'm also in the same industry as you and tore mine back in mid January. I came close to having the surgery but based on how well my arm was feeling I decided against it. Now, going into April, I don't even notice it as my arm feels the same as it did before I tore it and I'm still able to use it to lift heavy stuff when doing yard work in. I went to a PT and he has me lifting weights every other day to strengthen my arm and shoulder. He said he sees a lot of folks who had never had the surgery and they are doing fine 10 to 15 years later after they originally tore theirs. For me, it was a good choice not having surgery, but for others it may make more sense to have it repaired.
How is it feeling now
I’m 3.5 weeks post button repair of tear in my dominant right arm. I’m a fit 52yr old male and normally do heavy compound exercises in the gym and run. Had surgery 48hrs after injury (I work in theatre as an anaesthetist and surgeon operated on me quickly)
IMO the range of motion (ROM) splint is a waste of time - hard to put on and off and very limiting. I think it is way too conservative. The endo button repair is actually very strong and intra-operatinely the surgeon has already fully extended the repaired biceps ie full range if extension - so you could actually fully “range” it without fear of re-rupture. However, it will hurt. Best not to start “ranging” to “feeling of stretch” until 3 weeks (but do this gently several times a day) and then become more aggressive after 6 weeks (when bone has largely formed over the tendon insertion)
I used a standard sling strictly for 2 weeks and then largely out of sling now unless at the gym or driving (don’t want a sudden reflexive supination or severe extension)
I’m really going well. Exercises I’m doing are:
Heavy-ish (120-130kg) barbell squats balancing the barbell on my traps/shoulders with one arm in sling and lesser reps - if anything happens (it hasn’t) just step forward and the barbell an bumper plates simply fall to floor. I put 5kg extra on the side with sling to balance the barbell better.
Hack squats on machine
Stair climber
Lots of jogging
Back hyperextensions with arm out of sling and full ROM of both shoulders squeezing my shoulder blades into each other for hard holds while holding the hyperextended position for at least 1-2mins
Lateral deltoid raises with a machine with the pad placed proximal to elbow
Triceps extensions on a seated machine with affected elbow extending actively and then guided back passively
Hand gripper exercises - multiple times while lying in bed and elbow at 90 degrees. Do this until forearm muscles burn. Make sure there is no chance of supination When you do this)
I am carrying cups of tea etc with affected arm and will gradually load more over the next few weeks - importantly this loading of biceps is at 90 degrees flexion position so at the most mechanical advantage position for the muscle. Most flexion is normally by brachialis anyway not biceps.
I am not actively loading supination though (this is mostly performed by biceps so not advisable yet) ….just gently supinating to point of discomfort without any load and biceps at 90 degrees flexion
All coming together really well
Expecting to be loading my biceps more - doing dips and push-ups at the 2 - 2.5 months mark onwards.
Will isolate load biceps heavily (curls etc) at the 4 month mark I think - not an important exercise
Really important to exercise every day as above and keep that metabolic stimulus going strong and synergistic muscles and adjacent joints in full
Really think your ROM splint is way too conservative
Only role for these is the old fashion heavy suture repairs and also for delayed surgery when tendon grafts etc has been needed because tendon was so retracted.
Hope this helps people.
PS:
It’s common to get neuropraxia (pins, needles, numbness) in lateral cutaneous nerve of forearm distribution. It’s really annoying but is expect recovery over the next couple of months.
I don't know if we just do things differently here in Canada but I'm almost 2 weeks post op. I never had a cast at all. I wore a sling most of the time for about a week. When I went for my two week appointment I was told the button and sutures are plenty strong to start working on my range of motion and liftings few pounds and just using my arm and gently pushing as much as comfortable. No brace of anything. I'm already probably about 10-15 degrees from straight already. I'm really not sure why my experience and directions are so different but I'll certainly be asking at the 6 week appointment because that's a pretty drastic difference
Hey, man I'm from Austria in Europe. I also only had my Arm in a cast for a week and nothing else. Have you had any issues in rehabilitation?
Thanks - this is a great video as it is very insightful. I do have a question for you and others on here. I have surgery coming up and it sounds like the Doctor will have me in a soft cast for 3 or 4 weeks. Is this typical? Seems like a lot of time with arm immobilized.
i think i am going to get that cast also and my surgery is march 1st.
I'm about to have my surgery today.
im going to surgery Tuesdays kinda scarred and excited
Welcome brother
I hope you are in good health. I recently had my biceps tendon repaired 5 weeks ago and I am still in the physical therapy phase. There is a feeling of tearing again, and what are the best methods to prevent tearing again? Thank you very much, brother.
Hey bro! Hope you’re a doing well!
Are you still being followed by your doctor? If you have any pain or feeling of “tearing” you should let him know so he can do a proper assessment
Hi. Where can i buy the brace ?
So I tore my distal bicep tendon last year and never got a cast or the limiting brace. I was bandaged up for 2 weeks then was told to start stretching it out slowly I recovered pretty fast and have had no issues. I started training pretty soon after I had range of motion I had two buttons placed to hold the tendon My Dr said he’s been doing it this way for a few years and has had no complications in a patient.
54 yr old carpenter that works out pretty heavy w 19 in arms With in 7 months bicep was back to same size
Whats the total length of recovery?
How long after rupture did you have surgery.
I ruptured my distal bicep 💪 4 weeks ago
Meeting surgeon in a few days.
I am about 6wks out on my distal bicep repair, the nerve damage is still pretty bad in the forearm area but is getting better, I have most movement back but the tricep is non existent, the like totally disappeared, so as weeks pass I am hoping that it will start to come back, and at therapy I am still working on just arm movements, no weight bearing as of yet
Hey Trevor!
Sorry to hear about your injury! How did it happen? Were there any complications in the surgery?
The tricep will come back faster than the bicep. Its just been casted/immobilized for so long that its lost most of its glycogen stores, thus looks like it shrank. But most of that is water/glycogen loss and not actually muscle atrophy.
Everyone progresses at their own rate. Just keep up the exercises your physio is giving you and you'll be back to normal before you now it!
@@Dr.JayDMD my injury was caused by taking a replacement door out of my wife's van, I was lowering it down and as it was coming down it kinda got away from me so I grabbed it kinda quick and that is when I felt the snap, it was 70 percent of the way torn, so my surgeon said my decision to get it fixed was wise, and I have not had any complications as of yet, I play drums at a local church and tried to play some yesterday and it was not feeling good so I stopped doing that for now, I am 54 so my recovery will be longer than people in there 20s
@@riverbenddrummerdid you also have numbness in the hand after surgery?
@@justinvdvelden no numbness in the hand and now most of the feeling is back in the wrist area, my grip is still at 90lbs on the left and the right hand is at 130lbs, while at work lifting tires is getting easier, so most strength is coming back, and I am happy for that
your tricep will come back and your strength will return, just be patient and do what the dr and therapist say
Doctors i talked to were unanimous that surgery was recomended for someone who is not old and active in lifting and sports. I was not much decided at firtst after watching E3 Rehab videos on the topic, since the guy recovered back to a very strong shape without surgery, but i think doing it was the correct decision.
I watched that video before I made my decision as well.. I think he mentions that the main reason he chose the conservative route was because he did not have any insurance coverage for the surgical route.. I could be wrong though
@@Dr.JayDMD I’ve seen that video I thought he didn’t get the surgery because he was about to have a kid but again could be wrong.
For me the biggest reason to get the surgery is I could feel the tendon in my arm, it didn’t retract much past my elbow but feeling it there doing nothing and the bicep just slowly dying I couldn’t mentally get over.
I’m trying to find resources on what the options for a partial tear are. My Dr is not sure what I have. Tho I did get an MRI last night. He’s saying he’ll do surgery if fully torn and no surgery if partially torn. I’m and athlete and think I want surgery regardless.
He can evaluate the length of your broken stump. .maybe it's a graft to the stump weaved up into your clamped retrieved tendon meadowlark.
Yes, so depending on where the tendon ruptured, there would be different treatment options available.
Most ruptures happen clean off the bone. Such as mine. Thus, re-inserting (drilling) back into the radial tuberosity is what my ortho accomplished.
Hi I've jsut torn my long head bicep I train 6 days a week in crossfit and surf how long do u think before I can go back to these sports and should I stop the crossfit ???
I had the same Injury a half year ago. I make No Surgery because iam 53.
Now, it is perfekt. No Problems in my life. It is now 90% like bevor, so iam Happy without surgery. The risc of Problems with nervs after the surgery is very High. For me, it was too high. Now i have no Problems without my Bizepsmuscle, the Muscle Musculus Brachialis make the work. 😎
Risk of injury to lateral cutaneous nerve of forearm is 30-50% - pins and needles and numbness that usually completely recovers. Is because if retraction if nerve during surgery.
Most concerning nerve complication is posterior interosseous nerve injury in around 1-3%. Causes wrist drop for many months and almost always recovers completely.
Strongly recommend repair if you are into fitness and strength training.
Also if you use hands a lot in trade work like screwdrivers etc - you will lose more than 60% of your supination strength if no surgical repair.
It’s an easy course of recovery with button repair.
Almost 3 weeks post op. Cast is off and in the brace. Did you find pain when adding more degrees of extension every week? Just not sure what is normal and when to be concerned as far as pain and discomfort.
Hey Jack!
No necessarily pain, but definitely some sort of discomfort as you stretch out the tendon/bicep.
Slow and steady wins the race with stretches.
How is your mobility now? I'm sure your back to 100% by now!
@@Dr.JayDMD not 100% yet. At 100% of extension but still not permitted to use the muscle at all for about another month before I can start rebuilding.
Started physio for range of motion. Mostly the pain is in my wrist and fingers
I just had my first post op doctor visit and they advised me to not use the sling attachment. How did you keep your stabilizer brace to stay put and not slip down?
Hey bro
Do you have the same brace as me? I had to adjust mine so that the distance between the two straps were closer together. That way I could tighten it and it wouldn’t slip down.
Happy to hear the surgery and rehab is going well!
How did you injure your bicep??
@@Dr.JayDMD I have the Donjoy brace, looks just like yours but different probably different company. I’ve adjusted my straps to the point of pain and it still slides down. I found wearing a compression sleeve slows the slide, but still does it.
I helping a buddy of mine move some used gym equipment he purchased, on to his balcony. The main culprit was these large and heavy rubber mat that was apparently made for horses. Was trying to push it into place when my bicep popped.
Man I see my dr on Monday. I’m nervous since I have never had this done. Never had a surgery, kind of scares me. I’m 34 and I think ima get the surgery. I work in the field, union brother. Definitely can’t picture myself without my bicep.
Clean off the bone. Last Thursday. Crazy how I feel no pain, small bruising tho. Did my mri yesterday and they told me today the results.
Seeing the orthopedic dr Monday to see when the surgery needs to happen 😢😅
I'm 34 and just had my distal bicep tendon repaired about ten days ago. The way I understood it, if you want a chance to be back to 100%, this is pretty much the only option. I also had little to no pain from the injury itself. But the surgery is a real surgery, and you'll feel it. Still, I would have it again.
@luismota7913 was curious if you had surgery and how did it go?
@@taskmaxter now that I went thru with it. I’m glad I did, still doing therapy
I have insurance how much did it cost?
Maybe there's no drilling. 25 or more stitches could make a stump graft weave really strong.
Hey @Brian
Is that the technique you had done to you?
Did you have a lot of bruising? Tricep and forearm? I’m 9 days post surgery and have quite a lot of swelling and bruising.
I personally, did not. Some people do.
I think it depends on the person/how the injury happened.
How is your recovery now? Are you back to full ROM?
@@Dr.JayDMD thanks for the reply. I’m 2 months post surgery, back to full ROM. Working on light weights, supination, and pronation. Great videos by the way!
How long after your injury did you get surgery? They scheduled me 3 weeks and 2 days out and I'm kind of disappointed. My surgery is in 2 days and today is 3 weeks from injury and from some things I read online you should get this done immediately. Definitely within the first two weeks. I can feel the tendon getting hard in my arm and that concerns me. I knew I shouldn't have trusted this surgeon but it's too late now and I got to get this done ASAP.
Hey Eric!
I think it was just around the 2 week mark (maybe 1-2 days after). Don't stress too much about the delay. Some people on here waited as long as 4-6 weeks from day of injury and they rehabbed their tendon completely!
How did you rupture the tendon??
Wishing you a speedy recovery!
@@Dr.JayDMD Thanks for the reply. I was lifting a heavy bass guitar speaker box and I had my hand palm up and fully extended. Just like you see with preacher curls in the gym. I'm 51, so I hope recovery isn't too bad for my aging body. I'm having it done at UVA orthopedics in Charlottesville. The University of Virginia is a teaching hospital. They have good reviews and the surgeon, while she seems somewhat arrogant, does seem very sharp.
@@ericy1005 Age is just a number my friend. Keep your head up! Just put the work in the rehab process and you’ll be just fine.
And arrogance is a character trait most orthopaedic surgeons have haha. So don’t let that deter you 😂
@@Dr.JayDMD Cool, thanks! Surgeons do kind of think they play God but I hope they also remember the human body has a heck of a lot to do with it too. The magic is in the healing and the surgeon has very little to do with that. They simply attach it like a mechanical engineer. I figure if she's cocky and arrogant and still has a job and most of the reviews online are good then she must be good. Actually the only bad reviews online were about her personality and not about her work. And let's be honest, when we go in for surgery we're not trying to make a friend, we're looking for a professional. I'm a little nervous, but all should go well. I'm kind of a controlling guy with an electrical engineering background and I do a lot of my own stuff on the house and cars and whatnot, so letting someone do something for me is difficult. If I could perform the surgery myself I would. LoL. Anyway, thanks again for the replies, It puts me a little bit at ease.
Just got it done at 62... 5 and a half weeks after due to workman's comp insurance incompetence. Even so, the doc said it went "perfectly" and I should have a full recovery. Listen to your doctor, and do the right thing for you. I'm glad I did it.
What’s up man soo how long did the numbness in the forearm area last for you I’m two week post op as of today.
Hey bro! Do you still have the numbness?
I never had that post surgery but I’ve heard it’s not uncommon.
@@Dr.JayDMD yes still have it. I’m 5 weeks post op my dr. Said it most like minimize to a smaller area but it won’t go away. Still feels numb and it’s in the inner part of my forearm.
@@Dr.JayDMD dang really you never had that? Did you have that slight elbow discomfort when bending your arm?
Hello everyone. About 7 years ago I fully tore my left bicep tendon. I had the surgery to repair the tendon and everything went well. I experienced little to no issues. Just the pain after the surgery. I eventually was able to get back in the gym and lift weights with little to no limitations. The left arms feels normal. About 8 weeks ago I tore my right bicep tendon. The MRI showed a high grade tear. The surgeon suggested I try PT to see if I regain my strength. The healing has been a very slow process but my arm feels better. However, I''m at a higher risk of fully tearing the tendon. I am on the fence about getting the surgery to fully repair the tendon or just wait and see. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!
get the surgery! i fully tore my right in December 2022 and had it fixed 6 weeks later and went back to my labour job without issues 14 weeks later.
in 2016 i also did something to my left arm but couldn't get help from my countries health care as they didn't seem worried even though my bicep moved a inch up my arm. I got no mri but had a strong hook test. i made a full recovery for 2 years until it started aching, fatiguing and getting worse. my countries health care sent me to a professional and I am now 1 week post op with the endobutton. the surgeon said the tendon elongated from the bone but didn't tear completely. I am guessing it was frayed from the bone. he removed 2.3cm of bad tissue and reattached it. that lingering ache is gone. I am already allowed to move my arm a bit which is nice.
I was lucky as my bicep and the rest of the tendon was perfectly healthy and no graphs needed. reattached after being damaged 7 years earlier lol
@@Rawbchu thank you very much for sharing your experience. I had my second opinion today and the doctor recommends getting it fixed because the tendon will fully tear at some point.
@@louatlas3590 great choice, i would recommend jays videos. i followed these for my own rehab to as my other op was a week before his. good luck on the recovery mate.
I have to take the same decision for tomorrow im so lost ... im a carpenter my dexterity is freaking important ... i dont know what to do ... im scared about the nerve damage ...
I think carpentry is one of the professions where they usually lead you towards the surgery.
I know exactly how you feel, I was contemplating doing the non-surgical route because of all the complications that can accompany the surgical route..
At the end of the day, just know that the chance of complications happening are very low, and this is a very common injury/surgery. My orthopedic surgeon told me it was his "bread and butter", meaning he does a lot of them.
That helped me feel more comfortable with my decision.. and so far so good! :)
I don't know what you did, but I hope you chose to have surgery. A working man needs all of his abilities. I'm a steel hauler/steelworker... they wouldn't release me back to work if I didn't get it done... at 62-years-old.
@@kennygo8300 hi kenny , yes i choose the surgery, im now 8 week post op and im back at 75% of my initial strengh, i feel really good. I came back to work two week ago with light work , im really happy i made the right decision.
Bs, if you can afford it do it. Be honest, if doesn’t matter what industry your are in, we all want to get back to pre-injury state. There might be some exceptions but the vast majority would want to regain their strength and mobility.
Complete tear of my distal bicep tendon 1 1/2 days ago. Meet surgeon tomorrow. What is the name of the brace you have? Best of luck in rehab!
Hey Mark!
Sorry to hear about your injury. How did it happen?
What did the ortho say? Are you booking the surgery?
The brace was called Breg T-scope:
@@Dr.JayDMD Hello patients. After 5 days removed from sling for free movement. no painkillers required after day 5. Had my PostOp wk1 follow up with my surgeon. pain and stiffness in arm when pronating or supinating. Extension about 90%. pins/needles/numbness where wrist/hand meet. Tensor bandage removed by nurse. Sutures can be removed in 1 week. Go back for surgeon appt. in 5 weeks (6 wks PostOp) will discuss physiotherapy. No lifting for at least 6 weeks. 4-6 months for close to full recovery.
BTW - able to shower after PostOp wk1. no bathing until sutures out.
all... I hope my info has some value. Thanks Jay for hosting this. My tendon stump was retracted above the level
of the elbow joint line by approximately 9.1 cm.
Post Op wk2 completed. 95% extension without pain. Supination and pronation a little more range.
Wrist near hand still numb.
Lifted up handwipes supinated to put in washroom cabinet about chest high. Felt a small pop in bicep. Then some acute pain. Above elbow a small muscle ball started to appear over next 10 min.
2hrs later a bee tried to enter the front door. Without thinking I took a subtle backhand at the bee extending the arm. I felt another small pop as I extended and felt acute pain in the becep area. Hoping this is the bicep reacting in a positive manner rather than potential issues down the rehab trail.
The most difficult part thus far is training the mind to not use my left arm.
I have date to surgery procesure after 2 months , is tat too late or it just prolong recovery ? Thank you for info
If you are being followed by an orthopedic surgeon, he would have the best idea of whether it is "too late" or not. Most studies show that surgery within 2 weeks of injury have the "best" results.
What that really means is that there are less complications if the surgery is done within that time period. What it doesn't mean is that, surgery done outside that window is useless.
Goodluck!
ps. How did you injure your arm?!
Deadlift , i had operation yesturday . All went ok , they secured tendon with titanium button .
Quick update! It's the 5th day after the surgery of right arm tendon rupture, and I have no pain or numbness. I've started using my left hand for daily tasks. The only issue is that my operated hand is slightly swollen. All in all, I have no regrets about having the surgery; in fact, I'm looking forward to a full recovery. My insurance covered the surgical expenses at the renowned Dr. Miroslav Zotović Institute in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The package includes a 4-week rehabilitation in the orthopedic-physiotherapy spa in Slatina in the same city after 28 days of rest, all for the price of $35. It's been worth investing in health insurance! If it's not a secret, what are the costs of the surgery in America? Warm regards and thanks for motivating me to choose the surgery! Stay strong! 💪"
i am going to get my surgery on march 1st, 💪🏼🤞😢
Having my surgery today. I lift 20-35kg boxes and carcasses for a living,will i get back to 100 % or near 100% ?
Hey @Iam19bo
Hope your surgery went well! Keep me updated with your rehab process!
How did you injure your bicep??
I don't think lifting 20-35kg boxes will be asking too much of your new distal bicep tendon! A proper rehab protocol should have you back to near 100%.
Take your time before returning to work. You see me lifting similar weights in my videos but I'm only doing it while I'm at the gym for an hour or so.. It's different when you are doing it for 8 hours each work day. Its a lot more taxing to the muscle/tendon.
@Dr.JayDMD hi,surgery will be today. We were pushing carcasses along a rail,I saw it was going to fall off so I put my arm out to grab it. Arm was fully extended and I felt I rip straight away.
Ok so what about partial distal bicep tendon tears? I just partially tore mine and am very concerned about where to go from here
Hey Steven!
Sorry to hear about your injury. How did it happen? Have you been diagnosed?
Usually the orthopaedic surgeon will give you treatment options once they do their clinical/radiographic evaluation.
From what I remember, if the tendon is more than 50% torn, your surgeon will most likely offer surgery.
@@Dr.JayDMD I was bowling, shockingly. Hadn't bowled in years, picked up a slightly heavier ball, and it happened as I was putting spin on the ball (turning my supination to pronation) and it popped twice. Bicep tendon is def still attached, just pulled away slightly causing the bicep to sit slightly higher. Bruising covered my whole arm. Imaging is today, then appt with the Ortho asap incase I need surgery
@@Dr.JayDMD I powerlift, so getting back to as close to 100% as possible is crucial for me. And you're right, I def don't know the percentage of tear yet, just assuming it's pretty bad based off of the bruising, pain, and lack of strength. Thanks doc
@@stevenneese2823 I feel you.
I don’t compete, but I love lifting heavy.
From what I’ve seen online, most people are able to rehab the injury back to their previous fitness/strength level! So stay positive.
Also, just to note: I’ve noticed that bruising isn’t necessarily correlated to injury severity.
Mine tore right off the bone and I didn’t have ANY swelling or bruising.
So keep your head up, it prob not be as bad as you think!
If money or insurance isn’t an issue, why in the hell would someone choose to not get it fixed.
Anyone have experience with partial ruptures? Its unclear how much of my tendon is left but there's definitely a 3 finger gap between the elbow and biceps.
Consulted 4 specialists and half of them want surgery, the other half no. So frustrating 😂
How big is the gap in the non-injured side?
From what I know, most surgeons treat partial ruptures the same and full ruptures.. meaning, that if you don't have any contraindications to the procedure, they'll most likely suggest surgery.
What are you leaning more towards?
@@Dr.JayDMD the healthy side is 1.5 finger. In other words 33% gap on the injured vs 16% on the healthy.
I've booked a surgery in 8 days (2.5 weeks after the injury) but still unsure whether to take it or not. One of the doctors told me that the tear would heal in a few months while others said that I need a surgery asap 😂
I used to do hundreds of pullups and dumbbell curls with 70lbs weights, so would really like to get back to that one day.
@@andremuller1252I had a partial rupture. I went into surgery and they basically cut the tendon off completely and reattach it
@@andremuller1252 what did you end up doing? I partially tore mine less than 50% and was told by 2 orthos that surgery wasn’t needed. I’m into weighted calisthenics and would like to continue that after a few months of healing. Did a PRP injection and that seemed to help.
How did you know its was ruptured?
Google: Hook test.
Try to feel your bicep tendon attached at the elbow
I slightly tore my bicep tendon, would you still recommend surgery?
Same, mine is partial. I have no day to day pain, it feels like nothing happened except when i try to workout on biceps i feel the struggle
@AlfaAK101 I had surgery Mar 20th. It's still a struggle but physical therapy is working so I suggest surgery if you can.
@@midwestmarauder4821 did you feel pain prior to surgery like a daily struggle? Or just when you tried to lift?
@AlfaAK101 every once in a while I felt pain. I wasn't able to pull just push. And I specifically asked the surgeon, will I be able to do pull-ups again and he said yes, so I opted in.
Just had this done three days ago. I'm 62. I'm VERY healthy. Driving a steel truck requires full use of my arm... all day long. The doctors literally pushed me to repair. Since I'll probably work another 8 to 10 years... it's the right decision for me. If you're young... get it repaired. Jesus! You don't know what your life will bring. When you need it, you need it. Don't think "good enough" about your life. It's YOUR life! What are you worth? BTW, I have the exact same brace on my arm right now. The idea that it will be there for 6 weeks, kind of depresses me.
Hey Kenny!
I love that mindset. I agree with you! I am very happy I decided to undergo surgery!
Lucky they didn't put you in that very restrictive plaster cast! How did the injury happen??
I wish you a speedy recovery!
stop lifting steel trucks , you are not young
why you recommend surgery? because you and your surgeon friends would make more money that way. Medical field is just business in US, nothing personal
Hey @godlikeexcellence1201
Totally agree, the Medical field is a business in the US. Luckily that's not where I live :)
Taking into consideration the complications that may arise during surgery, I think the conservative route is an amazing option for most!
But I also think there is a reason why MOST (if not all) professional athletes choose the surgical route and not the conservative therapy. The statistics and studies show that there are benefits at the top end.
Like I state in the my video, I recommend the surgery if you NEED/WANT a level of strength/fatiguability to return to your arm.
My surgeon friends making money would just be a bonus ;)
With surgery you can get back to 100% with a stronger tendon to bone connection. The real question is why wouldn’t you get the surgery?
@@ozjohn8657 science says rehab is just as effective. Read papers. Surgery they put screws inside your bone that never dissolve. I wouldn’t call that a 100% fix. Some people comment here saying that they still have pain even after surgery.
People should definitely get a surgery if they have a full thickness tear, other than that god knows, current surgery technique doesn’t look effective. It’s just screws drilled into a bone to hold your tendon with little threads. Very primitive and useless looking. I hope in future they find a way to attach the tendon without screws and threads. Stem sell therapy looks good but very expensive now
@@godlikeexcellence1201 What we’re talking about here is a complete tear and screws and threads are not used. In this procedure a hole is drilled in the bone and the end of the tendon is sutured and pulled into that hole and held in place. These sutures are extremely strong and meant to hold the tendon in place as the bone and tendon heal together creating a connection that is stronger than it was before. It is stronger than it was before because the tendon isn’t just connected to the surface of the bone. It is now inside the bone as they heal together creating a stronger connection. Nothing primitive or useless about it. Stem cell therapy can also be used to help the healing process after surgery. I call it a 100% fix because you can regain 100% mobility and strength after surgery. Something you won’t have without surgery.
the last time???? dude you doing something wrong in the gym
I torn my tendon , scared me , but I gt the surgery, but I've lost strength in my arm significantly.