title: Neurologic complications of distal biceps tendon repair with 1-incision endobutton fixation.
abstract: Functional outcomes of biceps tendon rupture may be optimized with operative treatment. We conducted a retrospective study to determine the neurologic complications of using 1-incision Endobutton fixation to repair distal biceps tendon ruptures. Patients with distal biceps tendon ruptures treated with a 1-incision technique and Endobutton fixation were included. The primary outcome measure was frequency of neurologic complications. All 50 patients in the study were men. Mean age was 45 years. Twenty-one patients (42%) had at least 1 complication. Injury to the lateral antebrachial cutaneous nerve (LACN) was the most common (36%). Mean time to diagnosis was 17 days (range, 0 to 40 days). Posterior interosseous, anterior interosseous, and superficial radial nerve palsies each occurred at a 4% rate. Mean follow-up was 133 days. This study involved the largest cohort of patients with distal biceps tendon rupture repaired with Endobutton fixation using a 1-incision technique. The LACN injury rate (36%) was higher than in other studies using the same technique (0% to 22%). Injury rates for other neural structures near the elbow were comparable to those in the literature.
authors.affiliation: Section of Orthopedic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada. mjcarrol@ucalgary.ca.
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Carroll
authors.forename: Mark P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: DaCambra
authors.forename: Kevin A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Hildebrand
mesh_terms: D001134:Arm Injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000293:injuries; D019637:Orthopedic Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000295:instrumentation; D059348:Peripheral Nerve Injuries / Q000209:etiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012421:Rupture; D053441:Suture Anchors / Q000009:adverse effects; D013708:Tendon Injuries / Q000601:surgery*