A brachialis muscle rupture diagnosed by ultrasound; case report

Trauma to the elbow caused by lifting heavy objects frequently involves rupture of the tendon of the biceps brachii muscle. Less frequently a rupture of the brachialis muscle occurs. To our knowledge, only five cases involving traumatic rupture of the brachialis muscle were described in the past 20 years. We will briefly report these cases. To demonstrate and evaluate muscle injuries, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is considered the most sensitive and specific method of choice. We report an isolated brachialis muscle rupture caused by resisted flexion and pronation of the lower arm. Physical examination combined with ultrasound evaluation confirmed the diagnosis of ruptured brachialis muscle. Treatment was non-operative with full restoration of function.