Open Biceps Tendon Repair
An open biceps tendon repair (or tenodesis) is the surgical treatment for a ruptured biceps tendon. Most biceps tendon ruptures occur when lifting heavy objects or when the arm is stressed during elbow flexion. Tenodesis means to reattach a tendon. This can be done for biceps tendon ruptures that occur at the shoulder or elbow attachment. When the rupture occurs at the shoulder, the biceps tendon does not need to be reattached for full function; however, a lot of patients have it fixed to restore the look of the biceps muscle. A rupture that occurs at the elbow must be reattached or the patient will lose motion of the elbow and be unable to perform certain movements with the arm.