"Will I be able to play golf after surgery?"

NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley is recovering from a torn biceps tendon that was injured while weightlifting.

The biceps muscle is in the front of your upper arm. It helps you bend your elbow and rotate your forearm. It also helps keep your shoulder stable. If you tear the biceps tendon at the elbow, you will lose strength in your arm and be unable to forcefully flex and turn your arm from palm down to palm up (eg, opening a doorknob, unscrewing a cap, turning a wrench). This is called supination. Significant, permanent weakness during supination will occur if this tendon is not surgically repaired.

There is often a "pop" at the elbow when the biceps tendon ruptures. Pain is severe at first, but it may subside after a week. Other signs include: swelling and bruising in the front of the elbow, weakness in bending and twisting the forearm (supination), a bulge in the upper arm (created by the recoiled biceps muscle) and a gap in the front of the elbow (created by the detached tendon).

Surgery should be performed to repair the torn biceps tendon unless you are elderly, inactive, or have medical problems that are too risky for moderate surgery. Surgical results are excellent in returning strength and range-of-motion after a few months of postoperative therapy. Maybe it will help Charles' golf swing!

A biceps tendon repaired back to bone with the assistance of a button and calcium screw.
(From the files of Dr. Jerome Enad, Orthopedic Surgeon)