Tendinopatía del bíceps

  • TABLE OF CONTENTS
    • Shoulder biceps pathologies
    • Treatment of shoulder biceps pathologies

The biceps muscle is located on the anterior (front) side of the arm. The biceps extends from the shoulder blade, above the shoulder joint, to the radius, below the elbow joint. It has a single tendon insertion at its distal end (below the elbow), which can cause traumatic rupture: distal biceps rupture at the elbow.

Pathologies of the shoulder biceps

Biceps tendonitis is one of the most common shoulder pathologies related to the rotator cuff.



Biceps tendonitis can be isolated or, more frequently, associated with other shoulder pathologies: instability injury (shoulder dislocation) with labral injury, subacromial impingement and supraspinatus tendonitis, cuff tear with infrascapularis muscle tear, shoulder osteoarthritis (glenohumeral osteoarthritis).

There are different pathologies of the biceps:

  • Isolated inflammatory tendonitis. This is a synovitis located on the periphery of the biceps insertion. It can be traumatic in origin, associated with a subacromial impingement, or often spontaneous.

  • Dislocated biceps tendinopathy: The long biceps muscle is not in its groove. It is unstable and causes intense shoulder pain. It also damages the tendon of insertion of the infrascapularis muscle.

  • SLAP injury: biceps injury extending to the superior labrum, isolated or associated with shoulder instability (recurrent dislocation)

  • Spontaneous rupture of the long head of the biceps. This is responsible for a marked increase in the size of the biceps muscle in the arm. In these cases, we speak of the Popeye sign. This rupture should be a reason to look for an associated rotator cuff tear.


    • Tratamiento de las patologías del bíceps del hombro

    Treatment of associated pathologies is clearly essential:

    • Cuff repair in cases of injuries associated with rotator cuff tears
    • Shoulder stabilization surgery for instability due to recurrent shoulder dislocation
    • Treatment of subacromial impingement by bursectomy-acromioplasty in cases of associated supraspinatus tendonitis


    In isolated biceps tendonitis, initial treatment is medical, which may involve numerous therapies: rehabilitation, injections of long-acting corticosteroids into the intra-articular space, and mesotherapy along the biceps groove. Treatment for isolated ruptures of the long head of the biceps is non-surgical. Even in cases of a Popeye sign of the biceps muscle, this is often the solution for treating tendonitis within a few weeks.

    When medical treatment is not sufficiently effective, arthroscopic shoulder surgery may be performed.


    This information is provided by specialized healthcare personnel for informational purposes only and does not replace medical advice.

    Si desea concertar una cita con nuestro especialista de hombro en Bilbao puede ponerse en contacto al teléfono 946 941 347 o desde el siguiente formulario

    Contact us