Anatomical study of the distal tendon of the brachial biceps muscle. Application to biceps-triceps transfer in tetraplegic patients
Bottero, L.; Revol, M.; Servant, J.M.
Annales de Chirurgie Plastique et Esthetique 44(5): 541-544
1999
ISSN/ISBN: 0294-1260 PMID: 10609377 Document Number: 501401
In some cases of biceps-to-triceps transfer the muscle fibres of the biceps are inserted very distally, preventing correct setting of the transfer. A knowledge of the anatomy of the intramuscular part of the distal tendon of the biceps is useful to lengthen this tendon proximally. A study of 40 specimens showed that the intramuscular part of the distal tendon of the biceps is a large flattened lozenge-shaped aponeurosis located in a frontal plane. It receives muscle fibre insertions on both aspects. The length of the invisible part of the tendon can be estimated by a simple formula: 0.55 a + 4 cm, where "a" represents the length of the tendon between the most proximal tendinous point visible, and the most distal muscle point visible.