Patient Reported Outcomes of Long Head Biceps Tenodesis after Spontaneous Rupture

The aim of this study was to evaluate the factors influencing patient reported outcome measures (PROM) of biceps tenodesis after the rupture of proximal long head of the biceps tendon.

Retrospective chart review was conducted to identify patients with complete proximal rupture of the long head of the biceps that underwent biceps tenodesis between 2002-2017. This yielded 42 patients, of which 23 (55%) completed the PROMIS Pain Interference, PROMIS Upper Extremity, Quick DASH, and a custom biceps tear questionnaire, at a median of 8.5 years (IQR:5.2-12) post-operatively. The median age of the respondents was 57 years (IQR: 43-61). The majority of patients (n=12, 52%) underwent tenodesis using suture anchor fixation, while the remaining underwent tenodesis with interference screw technique (n=6, 26%), key hole technique (n=1, 4.3%), or tunnel technique (n=1, 4.3%). A bivariate analysis was performed to evaluate factors influencing the PROMs.

Six patients (27%) reported persistent biceps cramping at a median of 8.2 years post-operatively, negatively impacting PROMs, and this was associated with older age. Six patients (27%) had post-operative complications, including infection, pain, stiffness, and re-rupture, of which four patients (17%) underwent reoperation. Patients with activity/sports-induced injury or those that underwent tenodesis using a suture anchor technique demonstrated better PROMs.

Post-operative biceps cramping persists in almost one-third of patients and significantly impacts PROMs. Patient activity level and the use of suture anchor technique for tenodesis were independent predictors of improved biceps tenodesis outcome scores.