Long-term follow-up after arthroscopic tenotomy for partial rupture of the biceps brachii tendon

To report the long-term clinical outcomes and radiographic results in dogs diagnosed with partial bicipital rupture and treated by arthroscopic tenotomy.

The medical records of dogs that had undergone arthroscopic tenotomy were retrospectively reviewed. Inclusion criteria for this study were: performance of an arthroscopic tenotomy between August 1999 and July 2007, availability of arthroscopic records data for review, and ability to obtain follow-up data for more than one year after arthroscopic tenotomy. In all cases, owners were interviewed during follow-up appointments or via telephone to determine perceived outcome after surgery.

Forty-seven arthroscopic tenotomies were performed on 40 dogs without any major surgical complications. Long-term follow-up examinations, ranging from 12 months to 48 months (mean 26 months) after the tenotomy, were obtained for 24 dogs (25 shoulders). Clinical outcome was assessed as excellent in 22 shoulders, with each dog showing a full return of limb function. A total of 10 dogs (11 joints) were evaluated radiographically; six joints revealed no progression of pathology, and five joints showed a limited progression of pathology.

Arthroscopic tenotomy in the treatment of bicipital partial rupture yields favourable long-term clinical results and a high degree of owner satisfaction. The feasibility of this technique and the long-term clinical and radiographic outcome from our study indicate that this technique can be considered a reliable and safe treatment for partial bicipital rupture.