RUPTURE OF MUSCLES AND TENDONS: PARTICULARLY SUBCUTANEOUS RUPTURE OF THE BICEPS FLEXOR CUBITI

A review of the literature reveals that comparatively little has been written in English on the important subject of rupture of muscles and tendons. It is barely mentioned in American or English textbooks on surgery. A number of lengthy articles with complete case reports are to be found in the French and German literature, especially the latter. The fact that these accidents occur more frequently than is generally supposed and that the condition is usually undiagnosed or diagnosed incorrectly, resulting in valuable loss of time before operation, is my reason for presenting this subject. I refer particularly to complete muscle or tendon ruptures. Incomplete ruptures or tears, with more or less interruption in the continuity of the muscle or tendon, occur even more often. According to Loos, 1 Pettit, in 1722, was the first to report a case of rupture of a muscle. Chamseru, in 1781, was the first to