Biceps Tenodesis

Overuse, lifting heavy objects and traumatic injury to the shoulder can cause a tear in your proximal biceps tendon. This can also be compounded by several risk factors, like aging, smoking and certain medications. The result of this kind of injury can be what is commonly referred to as  the ‘Popeye Muscle’ sign where the biceps muscle bunches up near the elbow which implies a complete rupture of the proximal tendon. 

Your doctor may start with conservative approaches to include anti-inflammatory medications, rest, avoiding activities that aggravate your symptoms, cold packs, physical therapy, and/or even rehabilitation exercises to strengthen the muscles. If surgery is recommended, proximal biceps tenodesis is the next step. In this case, proximal biceps tenodesis is the surgical reattachment of a torn proximal biceps tendon, which connects the upper part of your biceps muscle to the shoulder. The surgery may be performed by arthroscopy (keyhole surgery) or open surgery if proximal bicep tenodesis is part of a larger surgery.