A biceps tendon tear at the elbow is an uncommon injury, most often caused by sudden trauma and often resulting in lasting arm weakness. Once torn, the biceps tendon at the elbow will not grow back to the bone and heal, although other arm muscles make it possible to bend the elbow fairly well without the bicep tendon. However, they cannot fulfil all the functions of the elbow, especially the motion of rotating the forearm from palm down to palm up (supination).

To return arm strength to near normal levels, surgery to repair the torn tendon is usually recommended. However, nonsurgical treatment is a reasonable option for patients who may not require full arm function.