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Defining biceps chondromalacia: An arthroscopic descriptive study.
Matthew R Bryan1, Alex E White2, Nnaoma M Oji2
1Department of Orthopaedics, Rothman Orthopaedic Institute at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
Shoulder & Elbow
|February 16, 2026
Summary
Biceps chondromalacia (BCM) is a common finding in patients with biceps-labrum complex (BLC) disease. This attritional lesion on the humeral head often presents in medial or junctional locations during arthroscopic evaluation.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedic Surgery
- Sports Medicine
- Arthroscopy
Background:
- Biceps chondromalacia (BCM) is an attritional lesion on the humeral head.
- It can result from abrasion of the long head of the biceps tendon (LHBT).
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the arthroscopic spectrum of BCM in symptomatic biceps-labrum complex (BLC) disease.
- To discuss the clinical implications of BCM in BLC disease.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective observational study of patients undergoing biceps tenodesis or tenotomy for symptomatic BLC disease.
- Analysis of arthroscopic findings over a two-year period.
Main Results:
- 51.5% of 68 patients with symptomatic BLC disease had BCM.
- BCM lesions were predominantly medial (54.3%) or junctional (37.1%).
- All 5 cases of LHBT incarceration showed medial BCM.
Conclusions:
- BCM is a frequent arthroscopic finding in chronic BLC symptoms.
- BCM typically occurs in medial and/or junctional locations.
- Routine arthroscopic evaluation for BCM is recommended in suspected BLC disease.
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