Detached/Torn Bicep?

[John Frieh]

Have you torn and/or detached your bicep? If so:

 

- how?

- any warning signs?

- did you notice any changes in the appearance of your bicep leading up to the event?

- etc?

[DCramer]

Detached (tendon tear to be more accurate)

 

1) Slapping for a hold on a low angle slab route...didn't even fall after the tear.

 

2) No warning signs.

 

3) No change in appearance in bicep before injury.

 

It's a fairly common problem for "middle age" active people.

Edited February 29, 2008 by DCramer

[archenemy]

I tore a pec. It was a full evulsion and was one of the most painful things I have ever experienced. I actually heard it pop. There were no warnings and there was a definite change in appearance. There is still a palpable scarring where it was sewn back together.

 

If you have a full tear or detachment, you will know. A smaller tear will heal on its own in time.

[RuMR]

jeez arch...how did that affect the bench press?

[ClimbingPanther]

I had a partial tear in the center of my bicep muscle from a fall while skiing. It was not too painful, just noticeable that something was wrong and I didn't want to use it heavily. After several days, a bruise started to surface, which lasted nearly a month. It was a wide lateral line of bruising across the center of my bicep, consistent in timing and shape with bleeding from a deep muscle tear.

[John Frieh]

Hmmm... good info.

 

I noticed today a weird for lack of a better word "depression" running around my left bicep/tricep... I hate to say it but it almost looks like I had been wearing a tight band around my arm and just took it off...

 

Edit: also when I run my fingers over it I can feel like a "shelf" under the skin

 

I watched a guy @ my gym completely detach his bicep two months ago so I am little paranoid after watching his bicep "pile up" underneath his skin @ the elbow :puke: so I was wondering if this "depression" was the start of something worse...

Edited February 29, 2008 by John Frieh

[ClimbingPanther]

so you don't have any pain/unusual sensation associated with it? if not, then that is a very odd circumstance indeed.

 

my pain was very light, and was associated with the use of the muscle. when limp, the muscle did not have any unusual sensation. I did not notice any deformation, though I'm sure I wasn't as ripped as you are.

[Dane]

I had a complete distal rupture of the right bicep a few months ago. Pain was intense but short lived.

 

Typical bent arm shock load was the cause. Also injuried the left at the same time just not as severe but am rehabing it instead of surgery. Although I would have prefered surgery on it too at this point. Right arm was not an option and is now better than my left although it is not yet 100%. And may never be I am told. Fuck'um, what do they know?

 

Bicep sucked up into my upper shoulder and was obviously disfigured with a loss of strength around 50%. Was able to claw my way up Davis/Holland on a top rope a day before surgery though....a stupid stunt I wouldn't recommend.

 

I did not have a complete tear from the 1st incident but enough pain and weird looking arm to know I was screwed. Xrays won't tell you a thing. An MRI will if you can sit thorugh the pain and torment of the position they will put you in. I couldn't. My ortho guy called it the moment he saw it and ordered up space for surgery the next morning. The longer you wait on a tear the worse the rehab and putting you back together is. I was 5 days from the intial tear, road Hurricane ridge the day after with no issues, then Davis Hollad, each day out allowing the tendon the shrink up. I should have insisted on seeing my doc sooner and get cut asap.

 

Doc said the tendon was a bitch to pull back down..."looked like it had been up there for weeks". Luckily they did not have to use cadaver tendon to hook me back up. But I did get a few extra cuts to get hold of the tendon and pull it back down. 6 months later I feel pretty good, not where i want to be but better than the alternative

 

Got the Darts yesterday thanks. Talked to John Gill about his bicep injury as well. If you have specific questions send me a email or give me a call. Pretty much got this injury dialed.

 

 

Edited March 1, 2008 by Dane

[John Frieh]

so you don't have any pain/unusual sensation associated with it?

 

No pain beyond soreness... did 16 - 16' rope climbs (think back to elementary gym class) this morning.

 

I have been doing a lot of pull/chin up specific exercises lately in hopes of increasing my max weighted pull up as well as finally being able do a true dead hang one arm pull up so I wasnt sure if the "depression" was a warning sign of things to come...

 

I think I'm going to ice/rest and keep an eye on it and see if it changes... thanks everyone!

[layton]

You can rupture a muscle completely without a drop of pain, John. Good new is there's really only 20% reduction in strength loss due to a detached biceps. What I would consider is if I'm doing enough exercise to detach my biceps, maybe I should lay off that muscle and go climb something say...made out of rocks or ice instead of a rope.

[Paulie55]

Did it last year - distal bicep tendon rupture (lower bicep tendon tears off the bone)- and had the surgery to correct it.

 

No real pain at the time. Took a bit of a fall when rappelling and my left arm got yanked by the rope.

 

The diagnosis can be done without any xrays/imaging.

 

- Basically, the bicep rolls up like a windowshade. You can't miss it - a big gap between the crook of your elbow and where the muscle starts.

 

- Don't wait to have it diagnosed and then re-attached if required, as the longer you are outside the 14 day window the more difficult the surgery will be.

 

- Not having the surgery done will result in a permanent deformity and a reduction in strength.

 

- Time in cast - about 8 weeks.

Edited March 1, 2008 by Paulie55