Muscular strength after rupture of the long head of the biceps

To measure muscular strength after rupture of the long head of the biceps brachii, we evaluated ten patients treated conservatively and five surgically with the Cybex II testing machine, and compared the values with the data on 20 healthy individuals. In the conservative group, the strength of elbow flexion was diminished by 16%, of supination of the forearm by 11%, and of shoulder abduction by 16%. The patients who underwent surgery lost, on average, only 8% strength for elbow flexion and 7% for forearm supination. Shoulder abduction was decreased by 20%. A moderate advantage was thus found for elbow flexion and forearm supination. Surgical treatment can be recommended for younger individuals, manual workers, and sportsmen, and rarely for cosmetic reasons, or when a subacromial impingement due to a disturbing proximal tendon stump is present.