Operative Techniques in Sports Medicine
Volume 15, Issue 1 , Pages 2-6 , January 2007

Anatomy and Function of the Tendon of the Long Head of the Biceps Muscle

  • Anastassios Karistinos, MD
    • ,
  • Lonnie E. Paulos, MD

      Affiliations

    • Corresponding Author InformationAddress reprint requests to Lonnie E. Paulos, MD, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, 6620 Main St, Suite 1350, Houston, TX 77030.

References 

  1. Gardner E, Gray DJ. Prenatal development of the human shoulder and acromioclavicular joints. Am J Anat. 1953;92:219–276
  2. Neale RM. The alleged transmigration of the tendon of the biceps brachii. Anat Rec. 1937;67:205–218
  3. De Palma AF. Surgery of the Shoulder. Philadelphia: JB Lippincott; 1983;
  4. Mariani PP, Bellelli A, Botticella C. Arthroscopic absence of the long head of the biceps tendon. Arthroscopy. 1997;13:499–501
  5. Smith EL, Matzkin EG, Kim DH, et al. Congenital absence of the long head of the biceps brachii tendon as a VATER association. Am J Orthop. 2002;31:452–454
  6. Glueck DA, Mair SD, Johnson DL. Shoulder instability with absence of the long head of the biceps tendon. Arthroscopy. 2003;19:787–789
  7. Franco JC, Knapp TP, Mandelbaum BR. Congenital absence of the long head of the biceps tendon (A case report). J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2005;87:1584–1586
  8. Warner JP, Paletta GA, Warren RF. Accessory head of the biceps brachii (Case report demonstrating clinical relevance). Clin Orthop Relat Res. 1992;280:179–181
  9. Hollinshead WH. In: Anatomy for surgeons. Vol 3:New York: Hoeber-Harper; 1958;p. 361
  10. Williams PL, Warrick R. Gray’s anatomy. (ed 36).. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone; 1980;
  11. Copper DE, Arnozky SP, O’Brien SJ, et al. Anatomy, histology, and vascularity of the glenoid labrum (An anatomical study). J Bone Joint Surg Am. 1992;74:46–52
  12. Vangsness CT, Jorgenson SS, Watson T, et al. The origin of the long head of the biceps from the scapula and glenoid labrum (An anatomical study of 100 shoulders). J Bone Joint Surg Br. 1994;76:951–954
  13. Tuoheti Y, Itoi E, Minagawa H, et al. Attachment types of the long head of the biceps tendon to the glenoid labrum and their relationships with the glenohumeral ligaments. Arthroscopy. 2005;21:1242–1249
  14. Werner A, Mueller T, Boehm D, et al. The stabilizing sling for the long head of the biceps tendon in the rotator interval (A histoanatomic study). Am J Sports Med. 2000;28:28–31
  15. Gleason PD, Beall DP, Sanders TG, et al. The transverse humeral ligament: a separate anatomical structure or a combination of the osseous attachment of the rotator cuff?. Am J Sports Med. 2006;34:72–77
  16. Clark JM, Harryman DT. Tendons, ligaments, and capsule of the rotator cuff (Gross and microscopic anatomy). J Bone Joint Surg Am. 1992;74:713–725
  17. Refior HJ, Sowa D. Long tendon of the biceps brachii: Sites of predilection for degenerative lesions. J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 1995;4:436–440
  18. Walch G, Nove-Josserand L, Boileau P, et al. Subluxations and dislocations of the tendon of the long head of the biceps. J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 1998;7:100–108
  19. Ueberham K, Le Floch-Prigent P. Intertubercular sulcus of the humerus: Biometry and morphology of 100 dry bones. Surg Radiol Anat. 1998;20:351–354
  20. Cone RO, Danzig L, Resnick D, et al. The bicipital groove: radiographic, anatomic, and pathologic study. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 1983;141:781–788
  21. Phahler M, Branner S, Refior HJ. The role of the bicipital groove in tendinopathy of the long biceps tendon. J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 1999;8:419–424
  22. Vettivel S, Indrasingh I, Chandi G, et al. Variations in the intertubercular sulcus of the humerus related to handedness. J Anat. 1992;180:321–326
  23. Kolts I, Tillmann B, Lullmann-Rauch R. The structure and vascularization of the biceps brachii long head tendon. Ann Anat. 1994;176:75–80
  24. Alpantaki K, McLaughlin D, Karagogeos D, et al. Sympathetic and sensory neural elements in the tendon of the long head of the biceps. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2005;87:1580–1583
  25. Knatt T, Guanche C, Solomonow M, et al. The glenohumeral-biceps reflex in the feline. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 1995;314:247–252
  26. McGough RL, Debski RE, Taskiran E, et al. Mechanical properties of the long head of the biceps tendon. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. 1996;3:226–229
  27. Andrews JR, Carson WG, McLeod WD. Glenoid labrum tears related to the long head of the biceps. Am J Sports Med. 1985;13:337–341
  28. Kumar VP, Satku K, Balasubramaniam P. The role of the long head of biceps brachii in the stabilization of the head of the humerus. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 1989;244:172–175
  29. Itoi E, Kuechle DK, Newman SR, et al. Stabilizing function of the biceps in stable and unstable shoulders (Erratum appears in J Bone Joint Surg Br 76:170, 1994). J Bone Joint Surg Br. 1993;75:546–550
  30. Rodosky MW, Harner CD, Fu FH. The role of the long head of the biceps muscle and superior glenoid labrum in anterior stability of the shoulder. Am J Sports Med. 1994;22:121–130
  31. Kuhn JE, Huston LJ, Soslowsky LJ, et al. external rotation of the glenohumeral joint: Ligament restraints and muscle effects in the neutral and abducted positions. J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 2005;14(1 Suppl S):39S–48S
  32. Pagnani MJ, Deng XH, Warren RF, et al. Role of the long head of the biceps brachii in glenohumeral stability: A biomechanical study in cadavera. J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 1996;5:255–262
  33. Blasier RB, Soslowsky LJ, Malicky DM, et al. Posterior glenohumeral subluxation: Active and passive stabilization in a biomechanical model. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 1997;79:433–440
  34. Pande P, Hawkins R, Peat M. Electromyography in voluntary posterior instability of the shoulder. Am J Sports Med. 1989;17:644–648
  35. Yamaguchi K, Riew KD, Galatz LM, et al. Biceps activity during shoulder motion: An electromyographic analysis. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 1997;336:122–129
  36. Levy AS, Kelly BT, Lintner SA, et al. Function of the long head of the biceps at the shoulder: Electromyographic analysis. J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 2001;10:250–255
  37. Sakurai G, Ozaki J, Tomita Y, et al. Electromyographic analysis of shoulder joint function of the biceps brachii muscle during isometric contraction. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 1998;354:123–131
  38. Furlani J. Electromyographic study of the mbiceps brachii in movements at the glenohumeral joint. Acta Anat (Basel). 1976;96:270–284
  39. Glousman RE, Jobe FW, Tibone JE, et al. Dynamic electromyographic analysis of the throwing shoulder with glenohumeral instability. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 1988;70:220–226
  40. Gowan ID, Jobe FW, Tibone JE, et al. A comparative electromyographic analysis of the shoulder during pitching (Professional versus amateur pitchers). Am J Sports Med. 1987;15:586–590

PII: S1060-1872(06)00133-X

doi: 10.1053/j.otsm.2006.12.004

Operative Techniques in Sports Medicine
Volume 15, Issue 1 , Pages 2-6 , January 2007

Article Tools