Biceps Tendonitis - Shoulder
Sometimes the soft tissues around the shoulder (ie tendons) can degenerate in such a way that only a single tendon degenerates. Sometimes this can be the biceps tendon, a tendon that runs down the front of the shoulder joint and attaches onto the biceps muscle in front of the arm.
Patients can sometimes have pain associated with lifting activities and indeed the tendon can occasionally let go and “pop”. This can lead to a deformity in the biceps muscle which is called a “Popeye” muscle due to the change in shape of the biceps.
In isolation, this rupture may not be so bad from a functional perspective but sometimes it can indicate that there is a greater problem inside the shoulder. This may warrant investigation.
When the tendon simply causes pain then we can do an operation to stop the tendon causing pain called a tenodesis. The tendon is detached from inside the shoulder and then reattached to the humeral bone at the front of the shoulder.