OBJECTIVETo observe the clinical characteristics of triceps brachii tendon rupture at olecranon ending.

METHODSFrom June 2005 to November 2011,19 patients with triceps brachii tendon rupture at olecranon ending were treated with surgical technique. Among the 19 patients, 7 patients were male, with an average age of 24.1 years old (ranged, 15 to 41 years old); 12 patients were female, with an average age of 51.4 years old (ranged, 16 to 73 years old). Eight patients had injuries in the left elbows, and 11 patients had injuries in right elbows. Seventeen patients had injuries induced by walking fall and 2 patients had injuries induced by falling down. Thirteen patients were simple triceps brachii tendon rupture at olecranon ending, 6 patients were associated with other elbow injuries. Five patients were associated with radial fracture; 1 patient with capitellum fracture; 1 patient with coronoid process fracture; 1 patient with epitrochlear. All the lateral radiographs of the injuried elbow demenstrated the flecks of avulsed osseous material from the olecranon (flake sign). The associated injuries had the homologus presence. All the patients were treated with surgical techniques:15 patients were treated with figure-of-eight tension-band wire; figure-of-eight tension band wire and Kirschner wire in 1 patient; wire cerclage in 1 patient; nonabsorbable suture in 2 patients. The associated injuries were treated simultaneously. Plaster was applied after operation in 2 patients with heavier elbow associated injuries, other patients without any external fixation. The Mayo elbow score were observed to determinate the function of the elbow.

RESULTSAll the patients were followed up, 1 patient died of other disease at one year after operation, the other 18 patients were followed up with an average of 47.9 months (ranged from 14 to 91 months). According to the Mayo elbow score, 16 patients got an excellent result and 2 good.

CONCLUSIONTraumatic rupture of triceps brachii tendon at olecranon ending is not a rare injury, which is common in female older than fifty and in male younger then thirty. Surgical results are generally excellent. But dysfunction frequently remains in patients with associated elbow injuries.