I’m a 76 yr old male with a detached upper bicep muscle. Repair possi?

@tommyjoe27 Ouch! I'm sure that is really painful. And every time something like this happens as we age it feels like we lose a little bit or our "old self" doesn't it?

Welcome to Mayo Connect, a community of patients and caregivers living with life's challenges and trying to help one another along the way.

I have had torn tendons, but not in the biceps. They were surgically repaired and over time are "as good as new" - even returned to cross-country and downhill skiing and running...but I was in my 40's when the ortho did the repair. As for the biceps tendon, that happened to my Mom at least 50 years ago, and she had it repaired surgically - she too was in her 40's at the time, volleyball was her sport, and she was no longer able to play, though she did return to her full work and leisure schedule otherwise.

Have you consulted an orthopedic surgeon about your situation? When I have needed both tendon and joint surgeries, I have deliberately chosen surgeons whose specialty was athletic medicine, since they, and their patients, expect more of recovery than just getting by. They seem to encourage more robust PT, and to be more honest about your future prospects in my experience.

How to find one? Look to see whose name is associated with your local college or pro sports teams. Maybe a return to pickleball could be in your future!
Sue

Thanks Sue. June 29 I had my left knee replaced by Dr Maxwell Thomas. OrthoArizona. That went & is fine! Yeah! At the time I asked Thomas and showed him the distorted bicep muscle. He said nothing about repair, like live with it. BS! I reinjured it this summer and it bothers me all the time. Maybe I should just start over with OA and ask for a consultation with a different dr? My Cigna PPO insurance doesn’t consider Mayo a primary. Getting it reattached makes sense. Not dead yet! lol. Thanks again! Tom

Not an expert here - so first, did you tear the muscle or tear one of the two tendons at the upper end of the biceps? Advise seeing an orthopedic doctor to examine and request an MRI.

I had the labrum tendon reattached - it was separated from the shoulder - in my left shoulder. Discovered by examination by an orthopedic doctor and confirmed by MRI. At the same time of the surgery, they took out a large quantity of arthritic spurs at the AC joint - top of shoulder to the collarbone. What they do is arthroscopically attach it via screw to the shoulder bone and clean the shreds out of the joint. I had mine in early May, had 6-7 weeks of immobilized in a sling, followed by PT and am still doing PT.

Tendons are very slow healers because of less blood flow going through them compared to muscles.

This may not be relavent but here you are from my experience with a torn rotary cuff caused by picking a tree full of crab apples for my neighbor to make crab apple butter, if you can believe that. Ended up after one doctor told me that to "fix" it would probably cause a break in that shoulder. I told him "Ciao". On to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesotta and after waiting forever with at least one hundred other people on that floor in an amphatheater I was given a list of excercises involving rope pulling, etc.. They told me under no circumstances should I play tennis which was my sport 7 days a week back in the days of my younger self.

I am an independant Lady and stubborn and decided to play tennis regardless. And? I repaired my shoulder myself. So to the Gentleman who wishes to play Pickleball...I don't know. Use your own judgement and try to avoid sergery if at all possible. Good Luck, Tommy.

https://www.orthopedicsports.com/biceps-tendon-repair-orthopedic-sports-surgeon-houston-tx/
Find an orthopedist who does the surgery. It isn't uncommon. Healing is slow. Don't even decide until you find your surgeon. Be aggressive in your search. Best wishes.