Surgery

The tendon is reattached through one or two incisions around your elbow. You go home the same day. Repair is sometimes difficult or impossible more than 6 weeks after injury.^1,2

The elbow is immobilized for a week to a month. Use of the arm with strength is avoided for 4 to 6 months.

Results:
- About 20% less strength when turning your palm upwards. Reattaching the biceps tendon does not return it to normal strength. You can notice this when using a screwdriver.
- It’s not clear that the chance of a little ache and fatigue with heavy arm use is less after surgery.

Advantages:
- Slightly greater strength in turning the palm up on average.

Disadvantages:
- A scar;
- The possibility of a new problem:

• 40 out of 100 people have temporary numbness of the forearm;
• 4 out of 100 people have persisting numbness of the forearm;
• Sometimes the nerve that opens your hand and bends your wrist backwards gets damaged. This usually gets better, but it can take months and months;
• 7 out of 100 people have extra bone formation around the elbow. Sometimes this blocks forearm rotation;
• 4 out of 100 people have a re-rupture of the tendon after surgery;
• 1 out of 100 people get a fracture of one of the forearm bones because of the surgery.