Triceps Repair and Restoration of Triceps Footprint With Anchorless Suture Fixation

A clinicoradiological classification and a treatment algorithm for traumatic triceps tendon avulsion in adults

PURPOSE

Triceps tendon avulsion (TTA) is an uncommon injury, and there are no classifications or treatment guidelines available. This study aims to describe a clinicoradiological classification and treatment algorithm for traumatic TTA in adults. The functional outcome of surgical repair has been evaluated too.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis of adult patients with traumatic TTA treated in our institution between January 2012 and December 2017 was done. We only included complete TTA injuries. Children below 15 years, with open injuries, associated fractures, or partial TTA were excluded. The data were obtained from hospital records. The intraoperative findings were correlated with the clinicoradiological presentation for classifying TTA. The functional outcome was analyzed using the Mayo Elbow Performance index and Hospital for Special Surgery elbow score. ANOVA test was used to assess the statistical significance.

RESULTS

There were 15 patients included, 11 males and 4 females. The mean age was (31.5 ± 9.15) years, and the mean follow-up was (22.4 ± 8.4) months. Fall on outstretched hand was the mode of injury. In 6 patients, diagnosis was missed on the initial visit. TTA were classified as Type I: palpable soft-tissue defect without bony mass; Type II: palpable soft-tissue defect with a wafer-thin/comminuted bony fragment on X-ray; Type III: palpable soft-tissue defect with a bony mass and a large bony fragment on X-ray without extension to the articular surface; and Type IV: an olecranon fracture with less than 25% of the articular surface. An algorithm for treatment was recommended, i.e. transosseous suture repair/suture anchor for Type I, transosseous suture repair for Type II, and tension band wiring or steel wire sutures for Types III and IV. All the patients achieved good to excellent outcome: the mean Mayo Elbow Performance index was 100 and Hospital for Special Surgery score was 98.26 ± 2.60 on final follow-up.

CONCLUSION

Our clinicoradiological classification and treatment algorithm for TTAs is simple. Surgical treatment results in excellent functions of the elbow. Since it is a single-center study involving a very small number of cases, a multicenter study with a larger number of patients is required for external validation of our classification and treatment recommendations.

A case series of a rare tendon rupture

The distal triceps tendon rupture is a rare finding. Only 1% of tendon ruptures are related to it. The triceps brachii muscle has three parts. All of them insert together at the posterior surface of olecranon. Mostly, the tendon ruptured at this level of insertion. The typically trauma mechanism is a fall on the hand with fully extended elbow or a direct trauma. There are also some cases described after weightlifting or secondary due to insufficiency after total joint replacement of the elbow. The diagnosis is based on clinical findings. Ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging diagnostic is secondary but might help to differentiate between partial or complete rupture as well as to assess tendon retraction. The diagnosis should be treated operatively. Until today, there is no standard of art of surgery techniques. We describe three cases with traumatic triceps tendon rupture fixed by a transosseous refixation.