Biceps Tendinitis: Open Repair With Soft Anchors or Metal Buttons Animation

Biceps Tendinitis: Open Repair With Soft Anchors or Metal Buttons Animation

Speaker1: This animation will demonstrate a biceps tendon repair, called a tenodesis, where the biceps tendon is cut from its normal attachment site at the shoulder socket and reattached elsewhere on the upper arm. In this animation, we will show the repair completed through a small incision, referred to as a mini-open approach next to the armpit.

Let us get started. Here, we have a right shoulder. The surgeon will make a 2 to 3 cm incision just on the outside of the armpit. In this animation, the surgeon has already cut the biceps from its normal attachment site while completing another shoulder procedure. The surgeon will identify the long head of the biceps tendon that has already been cut and retrieve it outside of the skin through the incision.

The surgeon will use suture to gain control of the biceps tendon and remove the damaged tissue above the suture. The next steps in the procedure will vary slightly depending on what exact implant is used. In general, the suture will be loaded into an implant, either a metal button or soft anchor. The button or anchor is placed into the bone, and the suture that has been sewn into the bicep can be tensioned to bring the tendon back on top of the bone where it can heal in place. Depending on the implant used, a surgeon may or may not need to tie knots to complete the repair.