Distal Bicep Tendon Rehab Post Surgery

[yetiman]

My husband just had surgery to reattach his right bicep tendon (that was fully avulsed) and we are wondering about the recommended rehab and timing. The surgeon is recommending no lifting at all for three months. Anyone with experience treating this kind of injury post op please help us understand the prognosis! Thanks, Yetiman

[trina_ferrer]

yup that sounds about right. i had a patient before who had a biceps tendon repair. although it was not a complete tear, the surgeon still recommended 2 to 3 months of no heavy lifting.

he came to me for physio treatment 3x/week for the first month. therapy consisted of inflammation control and active range of motion exercises for the first two weeks. these consisted of motions for the shoulder as well, and forearm pronation and supination. i would've been satisfied with seeing him once a week because all the exercises can be done at home but he preferred to come to the clinic because he says it gives him more drive to exercise.

we started with isometric exercises on the 3rd week post op and mild stretching around 6 weeks post op. ofcourse therapy differs from patient to patient depending on how well they are healing.

he started lifting a bit of weight at 3 mos post op

hope this helps =)

[yetiman]

Thanks so much for the information Trina. Peter's half cast doesn't come off until the 25th - and so until then it is immobilized. So it sounds like my husband could start some physio right away to work on inflamation and range of motion once it comes off next week? Once your patient started lifting weight at 3 months post op, how long did it take for them to get back to lifting at 100%. My husband is a paramedic and will have to be able to lift a 200 lb person onto a stretcher before he can return to work. We were thinking another 2 or 3 months after he starts lifting weights again at the 3 month mark....

Thanks again, Yetiman

[Canuck Physio]

Originally Posted by yetiman

Thanks so much for the information Trina. Peter's half cast doesn't come off until the 25th - and so until then it is immobilized. So it sounds like my husband could start some physio right away to work on inflamation and range of motion once it comes off next week? Once your patient started lifting weight at 3 months post op, how long did it take for them to get back to lifting at 100%. My husband is a paramedic and will have to be able to lift a 200 lb person onto a stretcher before he can return to work. We were thinking another 2 or 3 months after he starts lifting weights again at the 3 month mark....

Thanks again, Yetiman

I'd take it easy there, if your physio is experienced in exercise and personal training I would recommend taking it straight up to the 12 - 16 week mark with close monitoring to speed recovery.

[trina_ferrer]

yup he can start with physio right away when the cast comes off. the earlier the better. but canuck is right... don't get overzealous with the exercises. timing is of the essence.

as ive said before, my patient just started lifting a little weight in the 3 month mark. at 6 months he had reached his goal to carry his bride accross the threshold. she weighed 95 lbs.

your hubsand's goal of 200 lbs with a complete avulsion will obviously take more time. its hard to say but my best guess is between 7-8 mos post op. try your best to find a properly trained physio to accurately assess his lifting capability weekly.

keep me posted. id like to hear how he's progressing =)