Editorial Commentary: The Long Head of the Biceps Brachii Tendon-The Shoulder Surgeon's Conundrum

Abstract

The long head of the biceps tendon can be a significant pain generator in the setting of rotator cuff tearing. Surgeons who encounter long head of biceps tendon pathology at the time of rotator cuff repair can be confident in a high likelihood of statistically significant clinical improvement with concomitant long head of biceps surgery. Patients can be reliably counseled preoperatively that if they have both clinically apparent long head of biceps tendon pathology and rotator cuff tearing, and if they undergo long head of biceps tendon surgery with rotator cuff repair, they can expect comparable or better outcomes than isolated rotator cuff repair.