The biceps muscle is what gave Popeye his notoriety.
The biceps muscle consists of two separate heads: the short head which originates from the coracoid process and the long head which originates the cartilaginous socket referred to as the labrum.
The muscle inserts onto the radius, one of the bones in the forearm. Tendons attach muscle to bone.
The biceps functions to stabilize the shoulder, flex the elbow and rotate the forearm. The long head of the biceps tendon is vulnerable to injury because it travels through the shoulder joint to its attachment point at the labrum. Tears of biceps tendon can be either partial or complete.
Symptoms commonly associated with a torn biceps tendon include sudden sharp pain, an audible snap, weakness and tenderness along anterior shoulder.
Treatment options often include surgery where the biceps tendon is reinforced with sutures and anchored to the bone.
At the Centeno-Schultz Clinc we have successfully injected the biceps tendon where it is attached into the shoulder joint. A novel alternative to biceps tendon surgery is the injection of stem cells into the area of damage. The stem cells have the potential or repairing and regenerating the torn tendon. Regenexx is a simple needle-in, needle-out procedure which allows the patient to avoid the risks of surgery, anesthesia and the extensive time and expense associated with post surgery physical therapy.
