A ruptured biceps tendon is a common form of tendon injury. The biceps tendon connects the biceps muscle to the bones in the shoulder and elbow, and a rupture can result in the patient struggling to move or lift their arm. While ruptured biceps tendons on their own can be severe and incredibly painful, medical negligence during diagnosis, treatment, or rehabilitation can make the situation so much worse and can lead to potentially avoidable long-term consequences.
What is a ruptured biceps tendon?
A biceps tendon rupture occurs when the tendon that attaches the biceps muscle to the shoulder or elbow is torn or detached from the bone. The tendon can suffer a full or partial rupture, depending upon whether the tendon is fully detached when the injury occurs.
Ruptured biceps tendons often occur as a result of trauma, for example when lifting heavy objects and patients often report hearing a “pop” or snapping sound at the time of the injury. In some cases, overuse or repeated stress on the tendon can lead to its rupture, which is something that athletes particularly can suffer from.
Delayed Diagnosis
A detailed examination of the shoulder, arm and elbow is essential when considering a potential diagnosis of a ruptured biceps tendon. The patient may report hearing the popping sound or they may have a “Popeye deformity” where it appears that the biceps muscle is creating a bulge in the upper arm, like the cartoon character Popeye.
They may have other visual deformities such as the tendon appearing under the skin in a way that looks like a ball of knots, or purple bruising to the skin over the arm, and they may be unable to move their arm properly. A patient may only have some of these symptoms, so a clinician must examine a patient fully before ruling out such an injury. The signs of the rupture can be subtle, meaning that a clinician must be on high alert as they can easily miss them and fail to correctly diagnose the rupture.
Treatment of a Ruptured Biceps Tendon
Once diagnosed, time is of the essence and treatment must occur promptly for a patient to have the best chance of a full recovery. If diagnosed and treated quickly enough, then the patient may be able to have conservative treatment, through immobilising the arm in such a position which encourages the tendon edges to come together and heal.
However, if the injury is too severe or treatment has been delayed, the gap between the tendon edges will likely be too far apart for conservative treatment, and surgery involving a tendon graft will likely be required.
Consequences of a delayed diagnosis
A delay in the diagnosis of a ruptured biceps tendon can mean that it is too late for conservative treatment, and a patient will likely require tendon graft surgery. This involves taking part of a tendon from another part of the body and inserting it between the ruptured tendon, to act as a type of bridge between the unattached tendon edges.
Whilst patients can have good surgical outcomes, they are often left with permanent restrictions, weakness and reduced movement, as the graft will never be as strong as the original tendon was. Surgical outcomes are often worse in the long-term than for patients who were able to have successful conservative treatment.
The consequences upon a person’s every day life of the ongoing disabilities can be significant, and can lead to them needing help on a daily basis to perform basic tasks. This in turn can have a massive emotional and psychological impact, and can cause difficulties in work and lead to financial hardship.
How can we help?
If you have suffered a delayed diagnosis of a ruptured biceps tendon, we may be able to assist you with a clinical negligence claim to seek the compensation you deserve.
Our specialist team is extremely well placed to advise you upon your potential claim. Get in touch with our friendly team today by completing our contact form or on 01244 354688.
