Massage therapy · Kitchener–WaterlooBiceps Tendon Tear at the Elbow
Neck & Shoulder
What It Is
The biceps is located at the front of your upper arm. It allows you to bend your elbow and rotate your forearm (AAOS, n.d.). Tendons attach muscles to bones. The biceps tendons attach the biceps to the bones at the elbow and the shoulder. If the biceps tendon tears at the elbow, you will lose strength in your arm, especially when turning your forearm from palm down to palm up (a movement called supination) (AAOS, n.d.).
Tears can be partial or complete, and most tears at the elbow are complete. Once torn off, the biceps tendon at the elbow will not grow back to the bone and heal (AAOS, n.d.). With a complete tear, there is often a "pop" at the elbow, and you may see a bulge in the upper arm as the muscle bunches up, with bruising at the elbow and forearm, and weakness (AAOS, n.d.). Other arm muscles allow the elbow to bend fairly well without the biceps, but they cannot fulfil all of its functions, especially turning the forearm from palm down to palm up. Without surgical repair, there is usually about a 30 to 40% loss of strength, mainly in this twisting movement (AAOS, n.d.). The good news is that a biceps tendon tear at the elbow is uncommon (AAOS, n.d.).
Biceps Tendon Tear at the Elbow Anatomy
There are two tendons that attach the biceps muscle to the bone at the shoulder and one tendon attaching it at the elbow. The tendon at the elbow, known as the distal biceps tendon, attaches to the radial tuberosity. This is a small bump on the radius bone in your forearm, near the elbow joint (AAOS, n.d.).
Not a diagnosis — for more information, contact me or another trusted healthcare provider.
Treatment
Self-Care & Treatment
How to Treat Biceps Tendon Tear at the Elbow
Treatments you may want to discuss with your family doctor or nurse practitioner
Tips
- Avoid heavy lifting.
- Many people injure the tendon when they grab a heavy item, such as a box, without realising how much it weighs, and the weight forces the elbow straight (AAOS, n.d.). After surgery, there is a risk that the tendon could tear again or pull away from the repair, so follow your surgeon's advice about lifting.
- Injuries to the biceps tendon at the elbow usually happen when the elbow is forced straight against resistance (AAOS, n.d.).
- Men over the age of 30 are most likely to tear this tendon (AAOS, n.d.).
- Smoking (nicotine) can affect tendon strength and quality (AAOS, n.d.).
- Corticosteroid and anabolic steroid medicines have been linked to muscle and tendon weakness (AAOS, n.d.). Do not stop any prescribed medicine without talking to your doctor.
Treatment
My Approach
After a biceps tendon tear at the elbow, your surgeon or doctor decides how the arm is protected, how far the elbow can move and when you can lift again. I work inside those limits and check what you've been cleared for. If you've had surgery, I need your surgical team's okay before we start any hands-on treatment.
Acute: New
Subacute: Healing
Chronic: Persisting
What to Expect
Typical Course
What I Focus On
Sources
References
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) (n.d.) Biceps tendon tear at the elbow. OrthoInfo. Available at: https://www.orthoinfo.org/en/diseases--conditions/biceps-tendon-tear-at-the-elbow/ (Accessed: 7 October 2026).
- University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust (2026) Distal biceps tendon repair. Available at: https://www.uhsussex.nhs.uk/resources/distal-biceps-tendon-repair/ (Accessed: 7 October 2026).