Abstract des Autors

Nineteen ruptures of the lower biceps brachial tendon which had occurred during sports activities were analyzed in a multicentric study. The patients were 19 men aged 27 to 62 years (mean 47 years). These men practised different sports including contact sports (judo, rugby), sports involving force (weight-lifting, body-building), or gymnastics and other mechanical sports. The causal mechanism in all cases was passive extension opposing active flexion. In most cases, the diagnosis was clinical. Delay to diagnosis was long as most of the patients consulted late after a mean 8 day interval. Ultrasonography, CT-scan, or MRI were useful for diagnosis, particularly in the cases seen late. Surgical treatment was performed in 17 cases and conservative treatment in 2. In 11 cases, the tendon was reinserted on the bicipital tubercle. The anatomic type of the rupture was noted in 15 cases: 14 complete avulsions of the bicipital tubercle and only 1 case of rupture of the tendon alone. Postoperative complications were one radial paralysis which regressed at 1 year and one hematoma requiring drainage. Subjective results were considered to be good in 17 cases, average in 1 and poor in 1. Objective results were recorded in 4 of the 19 patients in this series. Eight of the athletes were able to resume their sports activities at the same level, 5 continued their activity at a lower level and no information was available in 5 other cases. In this series, ruptures of the lower brachial biceps occured in athletes over 40 years of age. Supinator force could only be restored by anatomic reinsertion of the tendon. The risk of nerve complications due to compression of the posterior branch of the radial nerve was reduced by use of two access routes for the reinsertion. Verf.-Referat