Triceps Tendon Tears: Triceps Tendon Repair

Triceps Tendon Tears: Triceps Tendon Repair

This surgical video demonstrates the repair of a triceps tendon tear at the elbow. Here we see a left elbow. The patient is lying face up on the operating table with their head toward the right side of the screen and their feet toward the left side of the screen. The arm is positioned across the chest. The forearm is toward the top of the screen, and the upper arm is toward the bottom of the screen.

To begin the surgery, the surgeon makes a curved incision along the elbow to protect the nearby ulnar nerve during the procedure and to help the incision heal afterward. The surgeon uses tools to cut through soft tissue to expose the torn triceps tendon and the elbow bone, where the tendon will be reattached, called the olecranon, which is a part of the ulna bone of the forearm. The torn tendon has 2 layers. The top layer is clamped and set aside.

Next, the surgeon uses a bone punch and drill to create holes in the elbow bone for hard-body anchors. Sutures are threaded into the anchors, which are placed into the drilled holes. There are 8 repair sutures and 4 flat support sutures. First, the surgeon uses a curved needle to pass the repair sutures through the bottom tendon layer. Then, they pass the flat support sutures through the bottom tendon layer.

Next, the surgeon passes all of the sutures through the top layer in the same position. The surgeon pulls on the repair sutures to cinch the 2 layers together and then ties knots to secure this position to the bone. This completes the first row of the repair.

To prepare the second row, the surgeon drills 2 more holes in the elbow bone for hard-body anchors. Each anchor is threaded with 4 repair sutures and 2 flat sutures. The surgeon places each anchor into a hole and screws it in place. The ends of the sutures are cut. A bridge-like configuration secures the tendon in place. The surgeon tests the motion of the elbow to confirm the tendon repair.

The skin incision will be closed with sutures, and the procedure is complete.