Two-Incision Distal Biceps Repair with Cortical Button: A Technique to Improve Supination Strength

Tears of the distal biceps are common, and nonoperative treatment results in significant loss of supination strength. Surgery is indicated for most patients to restore this supination strength. Both 1- and 2-incision techniques are successful, but each has its own advantages and disadvantages. We believe the 2-incision technique better restores the anatomic attachment site of the tendon, which leads to better supination strength and has a lower rate of neurologic injury. Although it does have a slightly higher risk of synostis, this can be mitigated by routine prophylaxis with NSAIDs. Augmenting the repair with a cortical button has been shown to increase the load-to-failure better than the traditional 2-incision technique that employs transosseous fixation. Here we present our technique of 2-incision distal biceps repair with cortical button, a technique intended to maximize supination strength.