I heard my elbow pop when working out and now can’t straighten it. Will I need surgery?

Q. I was working out last month and felt a pop on the back of my left elbow. I had swelling and bruising for a couple weeks down my arm. The pain has gone away but I still am weak when I try to straighten my elbow out. How long till my strength returns and I can safely resume my training?

A. The triceps muscle runs down the back of your arm and attaches as a tendon to the back part of your elbow. The muscle supplies strength in straightening your arm out.

Injuries to the triceps tendon are relatively common in power lifters, football players and wrestlers. Most individuals who injure the triceps tear the tendon away from its bony attachment point. This results in deformity of the muscle and weakness.

When a significant tear occurs to the triceps tendon, surgery is usually necessary to reattach the tendon back to the bone. You should see an orthopedic surgeon as quickly as possible for an exam and possibly an MRI scan. These injuries can be harder to repair the longer you wait to have surgery.

Dr. Harlan Selesnick is team physician of the Miami Heat and director of Miami Sports Medicine Fellowship, Doctors Hospital. Send your questions to HarlanS@baptisthealth.net

This story was originally published October 24, 2022 at 11:23 AM.