The cosmetic appearance of the biceps muscle after long-head tenotomy versus tenodesis.
OBJECTIVE
This study evaluates the cosmetic appearance of the biceps muscle after arthroscopic, intra-articular biceps tenotomy versus tenodesis by presenting subjective outcome results in patients with refractive bicipital pain.


METHODS
Retrospective study evaluating clinical follow-up of patients with refractive and chronic bicipital pain.


METHODS
Five consecutive years of patients receiving biceps tenotomy (80 patients; 40 males, 40 females; average age, 58 years) or tenodesis (80 patients; 51 males, 29 females; average age, 54 years) procedures were retrospectively followed-up by grading anterior shoulder pain, muscle spasms in the biceps, and cosmetic deformity of the biceps muscle. Statistics were done by chi(2) analysis.


RESULTS
When assessing the follow-up questions, no statistical significance was found between the biceps tenotomy and biceps tenodesis groups. There was also no statistical significance when comparing the biceps tenotomy and biceps tenodesis groups when evaluating only the men, women, and men versus women with respect to the questions assessed.


CONCLUSIONS
In the majority of patients in which a biceps tenotomy is performed, we note that the cosmetic appearance of the biceps muscle, the grade of muscle spasms of the biceps, and the level of anterior shoulder pain would present with little difference than if a tenodesis had been performed. Therefore, a biceps tenotomy may be a reasonable alternative to a biceps tenodesis in patients with refractive and chronic bicipital pain.
Osbahr
Daryl C
DC
University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.
Diamond
Alex B
AB
Speer
Kevin P
KP
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001182:Arthroscopy / Q000379:methods*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000473:pathology*; D010146:Pain / Q000145:classification / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017006:Rotator Cuff / Q000601:surgery; D000070636:Rotator Cuff Injuries; D012782:Shoulder / Q000601:surgery*; D013710:Tendons / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome