Bicep rupture?

[(N)shape]

I ruptured my left bicep tendon and had to have a cadaver tendon put in. Mine was too shredded. My arm still looks funky because they couldn't attach it all. There was onlt a little bit of tendon left on the muscle so they used that and some scar tissue that had formed and were able to attach the cadaver tendon to it. They also put it in deeper in the muscles to help it be stronger. So even though it looks a little funky it feels really good and I'm lifting just like before. I switched my deadlift grip just to make sure cause that can be a lot of pressure and my deadlift has actually increased (I think I now do a better job of concentrating on form, etc..). Anyway I hope all goes well!

 

[The Dude]

Just my luck he is going on vacation till Monday. I am worried I waited to long since the injury accured! Oh well I guess I will know Monday...

You should still be OK. My tendon was still attached to the bone and frayed from the muscle. They had to cut the tendon from the bone and then using muscle fibers and some kind of alloy wire they built me a new one. It looks totally normal now (minus the scars) and is stronger than pre rupture. Doc said it would be near impossible to damage the new one and I use pretty heavy weight and not an issue!

 

[onemind]

Well giuys thanks for all the advice!!! I had the surgery last Monday by my cousin. Will be in a cast for 3 weeks then he will take it off and look it over and then another cast for 3 more weeks. Then about 4 to 6 months therapy... He said he had to cut of the end of the dead tendon take a graph from my forearm and tie it dow. Took almost 3 hours to do. Sound familar?

 

[(N)shape]

Well giuys thanks for all the advice!!! I had the surgery last Monday by my cousin. Will be in a cast for 3 weeks then he will take it off and look it over and then another cast for 3 more weeks. Then about 4 to 6 months therapy... He said he had to cut of the end of the dead tendon take a graph from my forearm and tie it dow. Took almost 3 hours to do. Sound familar?

Dang man!! Go easy and rehab it correctly and you'll be fine!!

 

[Get_Swole]

What kinda graph did they take from your forearm?

 

[The Dude]

What kinda graph did they take from your forearm?

He probably means strands of tissue from the forearm as that tissue is very strong, similiar to what they did for me, but he didn't get the bionic alloy upgrade like I did.

 

[onemind]

yea, he said he used strands from my forearm that you don't use as a tie down to the bone. Man this cast is huge!!!

 

[The Dude]

yea, he said he used strands from my forearm that you don't use as a tie down to the bone. Man this cast is huge!!!

You should get pics from the surgery. On mine they used bicep muscle tissue wound with some kind of alloy and made a new tendon. Then they screwed it onto the bone then drilled a hole through my humerus and ran the whole tissue and alloy through there and secured it with some kind of anchoring thread on the other side. If it wasn't so painful I would have them do my left arm too!!

 

[DragonRider]

If it is indeed a full rupture and it is on the end of the tendon which is best then i would go to the doc and see about getting it fixed. I have a proximal ruptured long head biceps on my right arm, have had for about 1.5 years now. Mine should require surgery but where mine tore not at the insertion point on the tendon/muscle connection itself, it wont really hold a suture and has a good chance of rupturing again after rehab so i let it be, till another option comes along. If your going to be bodybuilding i strongly suggest getting it fixed it that is a good option for you. Not just for looks but i have pain assosiated there with just about every workout and just have to deal with it.

I have a similar injury. Same tendon, but from the bone not from the muscle. The ortho refused to fix it because I was 50 at the time it happened. They don't consider older men good candidates for the surgery. Even if they do repair it, time is of the essence. They prefer to do it in the first 4 weeks after injury.
I have regained at least 90% of my strength.

 

[DragonRider]

Guy, I just gotta say, I can't even imagine the pain of a bicep tear, to see and feel that shit snapping like a rubberband snapping when its too tensed. FUUUUUCK!!!!(shudder) Onemind, best wishes to ya, hope its just a strain or something.

Oddly enough, it really doesn't hurt that much, at least from the proximal end. It actually hurt much worse before it finally snapped.

 

[The Dude]

Oddly enough, it really doesn't hurt that much, at least from the proximal end. It actually hurt much worse before it finally snapped.

Yeah the snap was loud and scared the fuck out of me. I felt a little pain. The idea and realization of what happened would have put me in shock if CH3N02 hadn't been there. Recovering from the surgery was the worst experience.... well physical.... I've ever endured

 

[onemind]

You should get pics from the surgery. On mine they used bicep muscle tissue wound with some kind of alloy and made a new tendon. Then they screwed it onto the bone then drilled a hole through my humerus and ran the whole tissue and alloy through there and secured it with some kind of anchoring thread on the other side. If it wasn't so painful I would have them do my left arm too!!

Yea the suchers are made from metal and they use them everytime they do this kind of surgery. I amd 9 weeeks post op and now its about PT time. Ayone know what to expect?

 

[The Dude]

Yea the suchers are made from metal and they use them everytime they do this kind of surgery. I amd 9 weeeks post op and now its about PT time. Ayone know what to expect?

On some things, like a knee ligament injury, I think PT is a necessary part of rehab. But for a bicep tendon rupture.... how are the PT guys going to know better than an experienced bodybuilder how to put all that muscle back on??!! That being said I told the PT guy to piss off 10 minutes into my first session. Started out struggling to curl an 8lb dumbell and my arm was a flabby mess with no muscle at all. It came back quick and I was cautious with the weights. My Dr. Flat out said post op that my new tendon was at least 5 times stronger than my non repaired one so I had nothing to worry about when rehabbing it. He was right. The biggest hurdle was regaining equal bilateral strength. I'm still working on that today as some of the muscles on the repaired side are still in a semi cramped state and have to be broken up once a month.

 

[onemind]

That seems to be the way the head of my bicep is now. In a hard cramped spot on the end. I still have swelling on the inside of the arm also. Right below where the tendon was attached. My surgery was a lot different then most though. I was 3 months out from injury when it was done. So fare I have been in a cast 6 weeks post op and a brace 3 weeks with atleast another 3 weeks to go. So for me the tendon may not be as strong like yours was.