That pop and pain from the elbow could mean a major medical issue

Q. Last night, I was lifting a bed frame and felt a pop in the front of my right elbow. I experienced immediate pain and noticed a deformity of my biceps muscle. There is also weakness when I try to flex my arm and rotate my forearm. I went to urgent care and X-rays showed no fracture. I am 50 but still very active working out and playing sports. What do you thInk is wrong and what should my next steps be? A. I am concerned you may have torn your biceps tendon from the bone in your elbow. The biceps muscle not only is important for flexion strength of the arm but contributes to rotational strength of the forearm. If the biceps tendon is torn completely, you could lose up to 50% of your muscle strength with these motions.

I recommend you see an orthopedic surgeon right away as a rapid diagnosis makes treatment options easier and potentially more successful. In addition to a physical exam, an MRI may be helpful in establishing the extent of the injury. Tendon tears involving more than 50% of the width of the tendon usually require surgery to achieve the best outcome.

Dr. Harlan Selesnick is team physician of the Miami Heat and Inter Miami. Send your questions to HarlanS@baptisthealth.net