Paper 64: The Fate of Distal Biceps Partial Thickness Tears
Authors: Wilbur Ryan , Till Sara , Reinholz Anna , Barlow Jonathan , Sanchez-Sotelo Joaquin , Camp Christopher , Tagliero Adam 
Published: July 2022

Objectives:

Distal biceps tendon tears, although rare, significantly impair patient’s elbow mobility and function. There is a paucity of literature reporting outcomes of partial thickness tears to inform management strategies. Therefore, the authors sought to identify magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) confirmed partial thickness distal biceps tears and report on (1) demographics and treatment strategies, (2) outcomes and complications, and (3) any identifiable risk factors for progression to surgery or full thickness tear.

Methods:

Patients who experienced a partial thickness distal biceps tear confirmed on MRI from 1996 to 2016 were identified by a musculoskeletal radiologist through an institutional image database. Patients were included if they had complete medical records and at least one visit of clinical follow-up. Patients with inflammatory arthritis and enthesitis, polytrauma, or incidental findings without clinical assessment were excluded. Medical records were reviewed to confirm the diagnosis and obtain study details. Multivariate logistic regression models were created using baseline characteristics, injury details and physical exam findings in order to predict operative intervention.

Results:

Overall, 111 patients (22F, 89M, age: 53.6 years ± 13) were identified and included. Baseline injury characteristics and patient demographics including weakness in elbow flexion, forearm supination, and patient reported sensation at time of injury were all found to be statistically different between treatment groups (Table 1). Patients were followed to a mean of 10 years of clinical follow up. Within the cohort, 57 patients were treated non-operatively, while 54 were treated operatively. Patients who received surgical intervention were more likely to report missing time from work and greater loss of productivity due to missed time (Table 2); however, almost 90% of patients returned to work without restrictions, regardless of treatment modality (88% vs 88%, Table 2). For surgical patients, there were 5 re-operations (9%), 3 re-ruptures (6%), and overall, 31% of the operatively treated cohort experienced a complication. Results of the final multivariate logistic regression model are included in Table 3; final model variables included age at initial consult, tenderness to palpation tendon insertion on exam, and supination weakness. Of these, supination weakness at initial consult was found to be a statistically significant predictor for surgical intervention (p=.001, OR=24.8).

Conclusions:

Operative patients tended to be male with more profound supination weakness; these patients tended to report increased loss of productivity due to time missed after treatment. At 10 year clinical follow up 31% experienced some complication and 9% underwent a re-operation. However, patients demonstrated uniform ability to return to work without modification and no statistical differences in functional outcomes, regardless of treatment modality. Patients who suffer from a partial distal biceps tear should be counseled that operative management represents a balance of returning function with potential complications and increased loss of productivity. [Table: see text][Table: see text][Table: see text]