Tendon Attachment surgery for Torn muscle

[danieltx]

I don't have knowledge on peptides, etc., to recommend anything, but best wishes on a speedy recovery. Hate seeing the great members we have here get injured - we all know how much training means to us!

 

[biglizard225]

It should be noted that there are currently about three different methods for tendon attachments and some are much better than others. There are even surgeons using a combination of techniques that are supposedly even more bulletproof. Bottom line is, find the best surgeon you can.

Interesting.. what kind of techniques are you referring as I'm still a little ignorant in this procedure. I've been doing a little research but I would love to have some recommendations of questions to go over with my surgeon come Thursday.

As far as a cosmetic point of view I'm not so much worried as the peak in my left arm wasn't that great to begin with but I do love to lift heavy weights and I will be rehabbing properly, I just don't want that bastard to rupture again.

 

[Kaladryn]

Interesting.. what kind of techniques are you referring as I'm still a little ignorant in this procedure. I've been doing a little research but I would love to have some recommendations of questions to go over with my surgeon come Thursday.

As far as a cosmetic point of view I'm not so much worried as the peak in my left arm wasn't that great to begin with but I do love to lift heavy weights and I will be rehabbing properly, I just don't want that bastard to rupture again.

One method, the newest, uses a donut shaped anchor that is attached to the bone, then the tendon is sutured down to the middle of it, the tendon grows into the bone on it's own over time. Another method is to drill a hole through the bone and then pull the tendon all the way through, a third is to drill a hole part way through and then screw the tendon into the hole. A combination of the hole and the donut is also possible. They all have names I forget, I think there are others too...

 

[Reload]

a third is to drill a hole part way through and then screw the tendon into the hole.

This is what I had done this past March 15th (bicep tenodesis). Doc hadn't planned to do it initially as the MRI arthrogram only showed a bad rotator cuff tear. Ended up with 2 anchors to hold down my supraspinatus tendon and a subacromial decompression. My Ortho surgeon discovered my labrum was partially torn when he got in there which is why he opted to fix the bicep tendon as well. He explained my labrum would heal much more quickly w/o the bicep tendon connected to it.
I used GH, BPC-157 and TB-500 through my entire recovery. Physical therapy 2x/wk for the past 3 months and I'm not quite 180 but close enough. Looking back, the first couple of months were rough but I'm so happy I decided to have it done. Now I'm focused on finding creative ways to train chest & shoulders without a barbell.
Being able to fully contract/flex my bicep took awhile. It's still the only thing I'm overly cautious with so my curls/cable work remains at about 75% of my former max weight. It's gonna sound odd but the surgery actually improved the shape of that bicep. Get it fixed, you'll be glad you did in the long run.

 

[buck]

It should be noted that there are currently about three different methods for tendon attachments and some are much better than others. There are even surgeons using a combination of techniques that are supposedly even more bulletproof. Bottom line is, find the best surgeon you can.

I find that Orthopedic sport medicine surgeons especially if they work/teach and deal with professional athletes are more interested at learning and improving their technique.

 

[Kaladryn]

I find that Orthopedic sport medicine surgeons especially if they work/teach and deal with professional athletes are more interested at learning and improving their technique.

Agreed, my biceps surgery was done by one of the team doctors for the raiders and sharks, I traveled 5 hours to get it done by him. My shoulder surgery last year was done by one of the seahawks doctors and he was amazing, I was back to lifting heavy in two weeks, but it was just a cleanup.

 

[coug42]

There are a handful of ways to do a Biceps tenodesis (open vs arthroscopic; suture button vs suture anchor vs biotenodesis screw). I have treated some of these non-operatively, but for most laborers and athletes I will do a diagnostic shoulder arthroscopy and mini-open subpectoral biceps tenodesis with either a unicortical suture button or suture anchor. Again, this can be done arthroscopically, but in my hands I prefer the mini open technique with a small hidden axillary incision. A biceps tenodesis is a fairly straightforward procedure, and you should be in good hands with most Sports or Shoulder/Elbow fellowship trained Orthopedic Surgeons. The most important thing is to have someone who has done more than a few of these and have them do it the way that is the best in their hands. The literature will tell you that for the most part, there are similar outcomes no matter what technique is used. Decently long recovery and you’ll be in a sling for several weeks, but worth it in the long run for someone who still remains very active and lifts. Hope this helps. Here are a few articles for your education:

https://doi.org/10.1177/0363546516667577

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jse.2014.06.031

https://doi.org/10.1177/0363546515570024

 

[Landmonster]

No one doesn't get it reattached anymore, the newer methods are much better than past ones. The sooner you get it done and better the surgeon, the faster the recovery. If you aren't very patient, you will tear it off again. It will be immobilized for several weeks, then you won't be lifting any weight at all, just working on range of motion, then you will start with a couple pounds and work up from there slowly over around 6 months. Don't rush it, don't injure it again doing back or chest too soon. If you do everything perfect, it will come back to 90-95%. GH might help a bit but probably not much, you are waiting for the tendon to grow back into the bone, it will take a year to get to it's strongest point but it will be close to that at 6 months ideally.

FYI, you ruptured your tendon you didn't tear your muscle.

This is exactly right. There is a TON of misinformation out there about what to do after you rupture a tendon. I feel very misguided by the medical and bodybuilding communities about this.

I feel compelled to chime in. Take this as gold.


So, I tore my tricep tendon literally off the bone a year ago. I was doing heavy bench press, and the tendon snapped off.

Everyone was saying all sorts of things... "Oh, you'll be back lifting in 8 weeks" etc.

-I was completely immobilized in a cast for 8 weeks.
-I had to slowly work on range of motion for several months after that before I could touch a weight.
-It will take up to 12-15 months to regain max strength.
-be patient, and take what your body will give you.


Here are the keys:

• Any steroids you do in the process will likely HARM the healing. Yes, harm.
• Any testosterone you take above TRT will harm tendon regeneration. Yes, harm.
• Work on range of motion, blood flow, and easy movements

Supplements That may be useful:

1. Lots of vitamin C
2. GH, and GH peptides
3. Hydrolyzed collagen
4. Glucsoamine, Chondroiten
5. Cissus powder
6. fish oil

 

[biglizard225]

This is exactly right. There is a TON of misinformation out there about what to do after you rupture a tendon. I feel very misguided by the medical and bodybuilding communities about this.

I feel compelled to chime in. Take this as gold.


So, I tore my tricep tendon literally off the bone a year ago. I was doing heavy bench press, and the tendon snapped off.

Everyone was saying all sorts of things... "Oh, you'll be back lifting in 8 weeks" etc.

-I was completely immobilized in a cast for 8 weeks.
-I had to slowly work on range of motion for several months after that before I could touch a weight.
-It will take up to 12-15 months to regain max strength.
-be patient, and take what your body will give you.


Here are the keys:

• Any steroids you do in the process will likely HARM the healing. Yes, harm.
• Any testosterone you take above TRT will harm tendon regeneration. Yes, harm.
• Work on range of motion, blood flow, and easy movements

Supplements That may be useful:

1. Lots of vitamin C
2. GH, and GH peptides
3. Hydrolyzed collagen
4. Glucsoamine, Chondroiten
5. Cissus powder
6. fish oil

Nice thank you

 

[trekrider215]

ruptured my distal bicep tendon sept 30, 2017. had single incision endobutton technique done. took about 9-10 weeks to get full range of motion back. What frustrated me the most is that I couldn't curl anything heavier than a 5lb dumbbell for a very long time. It's the end of july and my bicep strength is still lagging a bit. I can push it pretty hard now though and it doesn't bother me. Still feels a little weird at times. could be scar tissue or something.

have nerve damage from the surgery which caused the entire front of my forearm to go completely numb. will probably be a few years before feeling starts to come back in it. That doesn't really bother me unless someone grabs my arm or Im trying to shave or something.

regardless of techniques used, theres actually a lot of little things that can go wrong. I have a friend who had the same surgery as me but from a different doc, and he had ossification occur between the bone or something, and he never got the ability to supinate his hand back, so he to have a second surgery done to clear that build up out of the way so he could rotate his hand. bone heals and buildsup between the ulna and radius and makes it so it can't spin. this is why rehab is particularly important. sucks because he had to wait for the first to heal completely before he could have the second surgery. I think I would have lost my shit if I had to go through that.

 

[Kaladryn]

There is a TON of misinformation out there about what to do after you rupture a tendon. I feel very misguided by the medical and bodybuilding communities about this.

My experience exactly.

 

[11111]

Interesting.. what kind of techniques are you referring as I'm still a little ignorant in this procedure. I've been doing a little research but I would love to have some recommendations of questions to go over with my surgeon come Thursday.

As far as a cosmetic point of view I'm not so much worried as the peak in my left arm wasn't that great to begin with but I do love to lift heavy weights and I will be rehabbing properly, I just don't want that bastard to rupture again.

sorry to hear about this, big lizard.... just curious, how did it happen, i.e. what exercise were you doing at the time, etc..?

 

[Landmonster]

FYI... most tendons don't just snap out of the blue.

In many cases, the body gives you plenty of warning signs leading upto the event. You may experience stiffness in that joint, extreme soreness, pain, swelling, or residual soreness after workouts which may continue for weeks or years.

In my case, I had fairly severe tendonitis in my elbow for about 2-3 years. It would get better or worse, but it would always "hurt". I simply warmed up, waited for the pain to reduce somewhat, and I continued to train through the pain. Every time, most reps would "hurt", but the level of pain would depend on the exercise. After training my tricep (on Chest days, shoulder days, or arm days), the elbow would ache for days afterwards each time, and began to swell. It became a constant problem.

I had an MRI done, and it showed severe tendonitis and a partial tear of the tricep tendon. Different exercises would cause more pain than others. For example, incline bench caused less pain that flat bench, and flat bench caused less pain than a skull crusher. So when my tendon finally tore, it wasn't a complete shock.

I was doing reps with 365 on a flat bench with aggressive form when it tore. Flat bench press was known to cause me more pain than an incline bench, and I was using more weight than I normally did. I probably should have been using a different exercise, with less weight, more reps, better form, elbow sleeves, etc.

In the future... I am going to pay much more respect to all my tendons and joints. They matter more than you realize, and none of them are invincible. Tearing my tricep tendon was the worst thing that has physically happened to me, because it sets your entire training back more than 1 year.

 

[Landmonster]

For the future, here are some rules I am choosing to live by:

1) If an exercise causes sharp or severe pains - STOP. Do not be tough and simply push through bad pain. The body is indicating something is wrong. (By the way, the mind IS stronger than the body, and you can push yourself past what the body is able to handle... the mind is capable of generating enough force to break tendons and ligaments)


2) I am going to wear knee sleeves and elbow sleeves, and warm up before attempting heavy weights. I never used to wear any sort of protective gear, and lifted as if I was invincible.


3) I am doing my best to keep all reps above 6, and use non-sloppy form to minimize stress on the joints. I didn't realize that tendons were so fragile, and I used to lift with aggressive Branch-Warren-Style force as if I was invincible.

4) I am becoming a big believer in minimizing inflammation. Anything you can do to minimize and reduce systemic inflammation will help your joints and tendons. (think.... lower carbs, more sleep, less sugar, less stress) I used to accept that all my joints should feel destroyed all the time after heavy lifting, but now I realize that is not necessary, and is probably due to poorly managed inflammation and stress. Your joints should not continually hurt on a daily basis outside of the gym.

5) Supplements that actually helped my recovery: Cissus, chondroiten, hydrolyzed collagen, BPC-157, TB-500.

 

[Landmonster]

My experience exactly.

I do think part of the problem here is that we are a very unique community. We are trying to hoist huge weight with our tendons. Our tendons probably also tend to be bigger and stronger than the average population... and we are asking more performance from them. Therefore, when they rupture, it will take a significantly longer time to rebuild and recover.


For example, many of the tendon tears than an orthopedic surgeon sees may be from eldery people. In which case, the surgeon may be being honest, when he says "Oh, you will be back to regular activity in 12 weeks". That does not apply to a weight lifter trying to bench press 400lbs.

In the case of a grandmother who tears her tricep tendon from a fall, her "normal activity" may consists of light housework and petting her cat. In 12 weeks, she might able to resume such activities. The healing requirements for such a tendon are NOT the same as a healing requirement for a guy to push a 400lb barbell.

The doctor told me, "Oh you know, when you start lifting again, just do a weight you could lift 20 times. You'll be fine that way"

Here is the dilemma: Many of us here are strong enough where we could probably bench press 225lbs for 20 reps. There is no way in hell that that would be safe for a freshly reattached tendon. I was feeling pain and discomfort when I first tried the 45lb bar.

All in all... take what your body will give you.

 

[danieltx]

For the future, here are some rules I am choosing to live by:

1) If an exercise causes sharp or severe pains - STOP. Do not be tough and simply push through bad pain. The body is indicating something is wrong. (By the way, the mind IS stronger than the body, and you can push yourself past what the body is able to handle... the mind is capable of generating enough force to break tendons and ligaments)


2) I am going to wear knee sleeves and elbow sleeves, and warm up before attempting heavy weights. I never used to wear any sort of protective gear, and lifted as if I was invincible.


3) I am doing my best to keep all reps above 6, and use non-sloppy form to minimize stress on the joints. I didn't realize that tendons were so fragile, and I used to lift with aggressive Branch-Warren-Style force as if I was invincible.

4) I am becoming a big believer in minimizing inflammation. Anything you can do to minimize and reduce systemic inflammation will help your joints and tendons. (think.... lower carbs, more sleep, less sugar, less stress) I used to accept that all my joints should feel destroyed all the time after heavy lifting, but now I realize that is not necessary, and is probably due to poorly managed inflammation and stress. Your joints should not continually hurt on a daily basis outside of the gym.

5) Supplements that actually helped my recovery: Cissus, chondroiten, hydrolyzed collagen, BPC-157, TB-500.

This is all excellent advice and pretty much what I adhere to, and I've never had any tears or any type of injury in the gym beyond slightly aggravating something that was back to normal within a week. No muscle tears, no tendon tears, nothing.

I use knee wraps and Slingshot on my heaviest sets every workout; CKD diet year-round; 11-12 grams of fish oil a day; never lower than 6 reps (and that's only on bench, and I don't even like to go that high - I prefer 8+); etc. I feel these are key to avoiding injuries and training hard without pain.

 

[little slice]

This is all excellent advice and pretty much what I adhere to, and I've never had any tears or any type of injury in the gym beyond slightly aggravating something that was back to normal within a week. No muscle tears, no tendon tears, nothing.

I use knee wraps and Slingshot on my heaviest sets every workout; CKD diet year-round; 11-12 grams of fish oil a day; never lower than 6 reps (and that's only on bench, and I don't even like to go that high - I prefer 8+); etc. I feel these are key to avoiding injuries and training hard without pain.

so you use wearable enhancements so you can load more weight than your body is capable of moving on it's own?


smart



(jk jk no bully pls)

 

[biglizard225]

All solid info. Thanks guys,

As far as what I was doing was dumbbell flyes with 100's. Nothing I haven't done before, my flat bench is 495 x 5 at my heaviest a few months ago. I'm pretty strong and I've been strong for a long time and I've always trained super heavy. Never noticed any pain in that bicep tendon. Just a freak occurrence that was bound to happen eventually.

When all this is said and done I will be way more cautious with what I'm doing. I didn't need to do those it was mainly just me loving to push the boundaries with heavy weight and I paid for it.

This will be good for me though, I've been going hard at it for about 2 years with not a whole lot of down time as far as rest goes. I'll come back better. Time to get this thing screwed back on and get rehabbed.


Thanks for all the suggestion guys it's exactly what I was looking for

 

[little slice]

As far as what I was doing was dumbbell flyes with 100's. Nothing I haven't done before, my flat bench is 495 x 5 at my heaviest a few months ago

lol wow im such a pussy

 

[Landmonster]

lol wow im such a pussy

All that DNP and "PSMF" stuff is great for abs, but not for actually moving iron.