Unilateral Snapping Biceps Femoris Tendon with an Anomalous Insertion Treated with Anatomic Repositioning and Lengthening with a Single Suture Anchor: A Report of Two Cases

Biceps femoris accessory tendon tenodesis: A case report

Key Clinical Message

We present a case of lateral knee pain from snapping of an accessory tendinous insertion of the biceps femoris. After failure of conservative treatment options, tenodesis of the accessory band to the direct arm insertion at the posterolateral edge of the fibular head effectively resolved symptoms.

Abstract

There are several distinct causes of lateral knee pain including IT band syndrome, meniscus tears, or other soft tissue pathologies; however, a few case reports have shown the biceps femoris as a cause of lateral knee pain and snapping. Conservative treatment is of modest benefit to the patient in these scenarios, and an MRI is not always able to identify the accessory band, as in our case. Intraoperatively, we discovered an accessory band of the biceps femoris attaching to the anterolateral tibia, causing pain and snapping during knee flexion as the band passed over the fibular head. There have been various surgical attempts to address this pathology; however, we report a successful outcome after tenodesis of the accessory band to the direct insertion at the posterolateral fibular head.

Painful Unilateral Knee Snapping after Hyperextension Injury and Meniscus Tear

This case involves a healthy male with painful lateral knee pain and snapping after a hyperextension injury. Initially, this was felt to be from a displaced lateral meniscus tear; however, he failed to improve after meniscal debridement. Further workup with an ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging identified an aberrant biceps femoris anatomy. He was taken to the operating room and the aberrant slip was identified. A tenodesis of the aberrant slip to the biceps femoris was completed. This resolved the patient's pain and snapping, and he was able to return to all activities.

Biceps femoris snapping and friction on the fibular head secondary to abnormal distal tendon insertion: 15 cases and a literature review

INTRODUCTION

Abnormal biceps femoris distal tendon insertion can cause tendon snapping, as is well-known in the literature. The presenting symptom is lateral knee pain, often during sports activities and cycling in particular. The present study tested two hypotheses: abnormal biceps femoris insertion on the fibular head may cause painful friction without clinical snapping, whether visible, audible or palpable; surgical correction achieves good results for pain and return to sport, regarding both snapping and friction.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Between 2006 and 2017, 11 patients were managed for pain secondary to abnormal biceps femoris insertion. In 4 cases, pain was bilateral, resulting in a total of 15 knees: 9 with snapping (in 6 patients), and 6 with friction syndrome without snapping (in 5 patients). All 6 patients with snapping were male, with a mean age of 29 years. Friction without snapping concerned 3 female and 2 male patients, with a mean age of 30 years. Study data included type and level of sport, clinical signs, imaging, type and results of treatment, and type of abnormality.

RESULTS

The insertion abnormality consisted in excessively anterior insertion in the fibular arm in 6 cases, in predominantly tibial insertion in 2 cases, and in isolated tibial insertion in 4 cases. Surgery mainly consisted inrelease and reinsertion of the distal biceps femoris tendon (in 7 cases). All patients were able to return to sport. The mechanism underlying snapping and friction was the same: distal biceps tendon friction on the fibular head secondary to unduly anterior fibular or predominantly or exclusively tibial insertion.

DISCUSSION

The literature reports 24 cases, all of snapping, with between 1 and 3 cases per author. These findings were compared with the present results. With or without snap, symptoms are secondary to abnormal tendon insertion and to activity or sport requiring repeated knee flexion greater than 90°.

CONCLUSIONS

(1) Case studies show that lateral knee pain by friction on the fibular head is not systematically accompanied by snapping. (2) In all reports and in the present series, surgery was highly effective on snapping and pain, and patients returned to sport at their previous level.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

IV.

Snapping of bilateral biceps femoris tendons: A case report and brief review

Snapping of the biceps femoris tendon is a rare cause of lateral knee pain often due to multiple factors including fibular head deformity and thickening of the anterior band of the biceps femoris tendon inserting on the tibia. Understanding the complex and poorly understood anatomy of the biceps femoris tendon is crucial and essential for proper diagnosis of its snapping. In this report, we describe the rare entity of bilateral biceps femoris tendon snapping in a young man using a multimodality diagnostic approach.

Bilateral snapping biceps femoris tendon: a case report and review of the literature

Snapping biceps femoris tendon is an uncommon cause of lateral knee pain. We report the case of a 15-year-old athlete with bilateral snapping biceps femoris tendons, painful over his right lateral leg during exercise. He underwent elective exploration of the right knee which revealed an accessory biceps femoris tendon with attachment to the anterolateral tibia. The accessory tendon was released and reinserted onto the fibular head with a Krackow suture. There were no perioperative complications, and he returned to full sporting activities within 3 months. We describe the operative technique used and summarise the existing literature. Restoring the anatomy with release of the accessory tendon and reinsertion onto the fibular head is an effective technique in the management of knee pain due to snapping biceps femoris tendon. Other approaches include simple release of the anomalous tendon without reinsertion or partial resection of the fibular head. Partial resection of the fibular head is the only technique described in the literature with complication requiring a further operation on the same site. There remains a paucity of evidence in the literature regarding long-term outcomes required to inform the best operative approach. Further anatomical, intraoperative and radiological studies are required to delineate the true pathology of this condition.

Surgical Repair of Dynamic Snapping Biceps Femoris Tendon

A snapping biceps tendon is an infrequently seen and commonly misdiagnosed pathology, leaving patients with persistent symptoms that can be debilitating. Patients will present with a visible, audible, and/or painful snap over the lateral aspect of their knee when performing squats, sitting in low seats, or participating in activities with deep knee flexion. A thorough knowledge of the anatomy is essential for surgical treatment of this pathology, which is caused by a detachment of the direct arms of the long and short heads of the biceps femoris off the fibular styloid. This Technical Note provides a diagnostic approach, postoperative management, and details of a surgical technique to treat a snapping biceps tendon with an anatomic repair of the long and short head attachments of the biceps femoris to the posterolateral fibular styloid.

Partial Fibular Head Resection Technique for Snapping Biceps Femoris

Snapping biceps femoris is a rare phenomenon in which the biceps femoris tendon subluxates over the fibular head when the leg is brought into deep flexion. Two primary pathologies have been identified: biceps insertion tears/anatomic variants and/or an enlarged fibular head. Often, it can be treated nonoperatively; however, if symptoms are severe enough and refractory to conservative treatments, the underlying pathology can be corrected surgically to alleviate symptoms. The diagnosis is made clinically; the subluxation should be reproducible with deep flexion and should abate with manual compression of the biceps muscle and internal rotation of the tibia. Radiographs can help to discern the size and shape of the fibular head, and magnetic resonance imaging can often help to determine any abnormal tendon insertions. The surgeon should be comfortable with the anatomy of the lateral knee. It is critical to protect the common peroneal nerve. With the appropriate correction, the subluxation can be eliminated and symptoms dramatically improved.