A Case of Spontaneous Rupture of the Long Head Biceps

Abstract

Case: Thirty-eight year old male. Veteran fisherman.He had usually used the right shoulder in a position of the external rotation and abduction. On 24-Oct. -1969, when he lifted up about 50kg fish-box backward, sharp lancinating pain had suddenly come in his right shoulder and radiated to the biceps region of the upper arm.He was admitted to a hospital and diagnosed shoulderluxation. Some treatment was done but symptom became no change. So he was admitted to our hospital on 18-May-1970, about six months after the onset. The clinical feature was tenderness on anterior aspect of the right shoulder and tumor of the biceps muscle with light medianus palsy. The site of rupture was the the supra-glenoid tuberosity. Histological finding of the site of the ruptured tendon showed the fat degeneration. Medianus nerve was compressed by the scar of the biceps tendon and muscle. Tendon-transfer was done by using the tendon of the semi-tendinous muscle. Four months after the operation, the shoulder function was very good, and he returned to the usual occupation.