Triceps Tendon Rupture - Everything You Need To Know - Dr. Nabil Ebraheim

Dr. Ebraheim’s educational animated video describes the rupture of the triceps tendon.
The triceps muscle is the large muscle on the back of the upper arm, it is a powerful extensor of the elbow joint.
The three heads of the triceps muscle:
1- Long head.
2- Medial head.
3- Lateral head.
All three heads share a common tendon that inserts into the olecranon process of the elbow.
A triceps tendon rupture is an injury that occurs to the tendon in the back of the elbow, this injury can be missed in a lot of patients.
Rupture of the triceps muscle typically occur in male athletes such as body builders, football players, and in athletes who lift heavy weights.
A triceps tendon rupture is a tear of the tendon that attaches the triceps muscle to the ulna.
Rupture of the tendon can be complete or incomplete.
Common mechanisms of injury include:
• Stress from sudden increase in intensity of training.
• Direct trauma to the tendon.
• Laceration of the tendon.
Rupture of the tendon may also occur due to local steroid injection or it may be due to history of anabolic steroid use.
rupture may also occur due to previous elbow surgery or systemic diseases such as renal disease and gout.
There will be a painful limitation of the range of motion and the patient will be unable to extend the elbow, especially against resistance.
The patient may hear a “pop” and the tendon may retract upwards.
A gap may be felt in the back of the elbow where the rupture occurs.
x-rays may show a small bony avulsion.
The “Flake” sign identifies the avulsion on lateral x-ray.
x-rays are helpful for diagnosing a triceps tendon rupture, however , MRI is the best study for visualizing the tear.
Treatment: establishing the correct diagnosis early is important.
1- Early repair of the tendon in acute cases, with delay in diagnosis, primary repair of the tendon may not be possible and the patient may require tendon reconstruction with less favorable outcome.
2- Reconstruction of the tendon by a graft in chronic neglected cases, especially if the patient has a major disability in elbow extension.



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