Surgical Outcomes of Distal Biceps Brachii Tendon Rupture by Use of a New Instrument, PushLock® Knotless Suture Anchor.

Abstract

Background: Ruptures of the distal biceps brachii tendon (DBT) have only a few published reports in Asia. In this study, we report on the diagnosis and surgical outcomes of six acute traumatic cases surgically treated using a new internal fixation instrument, PushLock^® Knotless Suture Anchor. Methods: In the past 3 years, we treated six patients with DBT rupture. All were males, aged 39-67 years at the time of surgery. Three patients had complete rupture of both the long and short head and three patients had only rupture of the long head. The ruptured DBT tendon was tightly fixed to the anatomical insertion in the radial tuberosity by use of a 2.9 mm PushLock^® Knotless Suture Anchor. Results: All patients had recovered to MMT 5 in elbow flexion post-operatively and there was no limitation of ROM in elbow or forearm. The DASH score significantly improved from a mean of 28.5 points to 17.5. One patient had a transient complaint of numbness in the area of the superficial radial nerve. Conclusions: Even if the long head of DBT is injured alone, pain and consequent elbow flexion weakness will occur. Repair of the injured tendon should be considered even for partial rupture of DBT, especially in manual workers. The SutureTape and 2.9 mm PushLock^® Knotless Suture Anchor are new internal fixation instruments, and their usefulness for repair of ruptured DBT has not been reported yet. In this case series, excellent outcomes were obtained. Pain relief and recovery of muscle strength were achieved early after surgery. Our technique is simple, safe and reliable for surgical repair of the ruptured DBT. Level of Evidence: Level IV (Therapeutic).