Subluxing biceps tendon in the athlete

Subluxation or dislocation of the long head of the biceps tendon from the bicipital groove is one of the common causes of shoulder disability in the throwing arm of the athlete. This condition has characteristic symptoms; pain on throwing and relieved by rest; palpable snap at a certain point in the arc of motion. The signs are tenderness over the bicipital groove and a reproducible pop in rotation of the humeral head. The diagnosis can be quite secure and is often confirmed by X-rays profiling the bicipital tunnel. The remedy is a relatively nontraumatic operation which removes the biceps tendon from the shoulder and fastens it into the bicipital groove. To take the young athlete who can no longer throw, and by a procedure of short morbidity permit him to throw without inhibition, is very gratifying both to patient and physician. Definitive diagnosis of shoulder lesions in the young athlete is mandatory for any effective treatment.