Rupture of the right brachial triceps in a baseball athlete. A case report

Abstract

Introduction: rupture of the distal triceps tendon is a very uncommon injury; it represents only 0,8 % of all tendon injuries. It is frequent in athletic men, probably due to their training regimen. The cause of the injury is usually a fall with the hand in extension; when the triceps is contracted, the deceleration force on the arm causes the rupture.

Objective: to present a case of right brachial triceps rupture in a baseball athlete.

Case presentation: 34-year-old male patient, baseball athlete; when capturing a pitch supported his left hand and felt an intense pain in the back side of the left elbow, which prevented him to continue the game. On physical examination, hatchet strike defect in the distal tendon of the triceps was found, with an increase in volume and impossibility to extend the elbow; ultrasound of soft tissues showed signs of total rupture of the tendon and surgical treatment was oriented. In the operation the deinsertion in the olecranon was confirmed; transosseous suture was performed, the elbow was immobilized at approximately 60 degrees of flexion for six weeks, and then the patient began rehabilitation.

Discussion: the patient did not present personal pathological antecedents or infiltrations with steroids around the elbow; the mechanism of production of the injury was indirect, and a consequence of the sport practice.

Conclusions: early primary repair of the lesion is important because, regardless of the surgical technique used, it avoids recurring reconstruction techniques.