Partial Rupture of the Distal Triceps in an Athlete: Case Report and Description of Surgical Technique

Brachial triceps tendon ruptures account for less than 1% of all upper limbs tendinous ruptures. Partial ruptures are underdiagnosed, and a partial rupture may become a total lesion. Complete ruptures usually require surgical treatment; however, there is no well-defined conduct for partial ruptures. This article presents the case of a 42-year-old male jiu-jitsu athlete with partial rupture of the brachial triceps who underwent surgical treatment due to persistent loss of elbow extension strength, even after conservative treatment. The repair was performed with grafting of the long palmar muscle tendon, using a technique developed by the authors. No complications were observed, and the patient presented a satisfactory result, evidenced by the improvement in the parameters of isokinetic studies, which were performed before surgery and at 5 months postoperatively. This technique has proven to be an option for cases of partial rupture of the brachial triceps in patients with high physical demand who do not show improvement with the conservative treatment.