torn bicep

[rdufokker 6]

So I tore my bicep off the radius bone while exiting the twin otter. I got pinned in the corner of the door and had the grip twist and rip my arm down.

Has anyone had this operation? What should I expect for recovery i.e. pain, useful again, back to jumping?

Irony: "the History and Trivia section hijacked by the D.B. Cooper thread"

[R1DOC 0]

Distal bicep ruptures are significant injuries. If you want to continue skydiving I would have it repaired. This injury if not repaired is associated with a 40% loss of arm flexion, 40% loss of forearm supination (moving palm upward), and a 15% loss of grip strength. The surgery is the easy part. Most commonly I repair these with a 1 incision approach, (in front of the elbow). Although some do it with a 2 incision approach, (front and back of arm). The hard part is the rehab and recovery. Expect 6-12 months for full recovery. Most do very well, but you have to follow your rehab closely. You will be non-weight bearing for a while on that arm. You will then slowly progress your weight bearing status. In the end you should do well and expect AT LEAST 6 months until you skydive again, unless you want to take the risk of rerupture.

Mark Duber
Orthopedic Surgeon

[chuckakers 370]

Quote

So I tore my bicep off the radius bone while exiting the twin otter. I got pinned in the corner of the door and had the grip twist and rip my arm down.

Has anyone had this operation? What should I expect for recovery i.e. pain, useful again, back to jumping?

Got the inner bi-cep on my left arm ripped off during a funneled 6-way Otter exit. The surgery was pretty simple. The recovery was easy. Not too much pain, just some soreness and stiffness. I was near 100% in a month.

Or maybe it was the painkillers.

Chuck Akers
D-10855
Houston, TX

[ufk22 32]

My experience
Torn in April, surgery in May, Jumping in July.
I made sure that I didn't get in a position where I had to use that hand for a exit grip (let people take a grip on me, not vice versa) for the first couple of months.
Also, wean yourself of the pain meds, except at night, as quick as you can. It's easy to do damage using that arm if the meds cover up the pain.

This is the paradox of skydiving. We do something very dangerous, expose ourselves to a totally unnecesary risk, and then spend our time trying to make it safer.

[Birdguy 0]

I did a complete Distal Rupture last fall. I elected not to have surgery due to the timeoff work and lack of sufficient funds to keep my house and Bills in order. I weighed the options carefully and thought that this was best for me. Depending on your age and income situation , Surgery may be the best option! The Doctor told me if I was 5 years older than he probably would not give me the option and just said get on with your life. It is said to be a common injury of " Middle - Aged Men", which I found more painful, as I didn't realizeI was middle - aged!
I don't lift major amounts of Weight in a "curling" fashion so I haven't noticed a great lose in strength that way, but I have noticed that my arm Tires quicker than before when doing tasks as Raking or Swinging a Hammer. My grip seems okay and I do alot of Ladder Climbing and hanging on with one hand at work.
It is not painful either, as Tendon has no Nerves! After the first week there was little or no pain except in the area where the Tendon became dettached off the Bone.

It is a big decision to make , and you will half to think what is best for you in the Long Run!

Good Luck ,hope you Heal Well!

Cheer's Garth

[BillyVance 34]

Quote

My experience
Torn in April, surgery in May, Jumping in July.
I made sure that I didn't get in a position where I had to use that hand for a exit grip (let people take a grip on me, not vice versa) for the first couple of months.
Also, wean yourself of the pain meds, except at night, as quick as you can. It's easy to do damage using that arm if the meds cover up the pain.

Not trying to get off topic, but when I broke my radius bone near the wrist, it was about 7 weeks before I was back to jumping, but another 2 months after that before I felt like 100% and was willing to do a floater exit that puts enough of a strain on the arm that it will hurt if not 100%.

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[rdufokker 6]

Thanks everyone for your feedback. Got the surgery scheduled for this friday. Just want to get it over with so i can get back to jumping. I am hoping that I can do some tunnel time sooner and then work into jumping.

Irony: "the History and Trivia section hijacked by the D.B. Cooper thread"