Your triceps is the muscle on the back of your upper arm that allows your elbow to straighten.
A torn triceps can be a serious injury that requires medical attention and sometimes even surgery.
Recovery after a triceps tear is a lengthy process, typically lasting around six months.
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At the bottom, it attaches to the point of your elbow.
This is the bone on the pinky side of your forearm, called theulna.
The triceps causes movement at the shoulder and the elbow joint.
What Is a Triceps Tear?
Triceps tears most commonly occur in the tendon that attaches your triceps to the back of your elbow.
However, even this injury is rare.
Muscle and tendon tears can be graded from 1 to 3, based on how severe they are.
What Are the Symptoms of Triceps Tears?
You might also feel (or hear) a popping or tearing sensation.
You will have swelling, and your skin will likely be red and/or bruised.
If you have a partial tear, your arm will likely feel weak.
What Causes the Triceps to Tear?
Less commonly, triceps tears happen from direct trauma to the muscle, such as a motor vehicle accident.
This condition usually occurs from repetitive use of your triceps muscle during activities such as manual labor or exercise.
In fact, triceps tendonitis is sometimes called “weightlifter’s elbow” for that reason.
Strain on tendons causes tiny tears that the body typically heals.
Risk Factors
Risk factors can make it more likely that a person could have a triceps tear.
Certain underlying medical conditions can weaken tendons, making them more likely to be injured.
These include:
Chronic tendonitis orbursitisin your elbow can increase your risk of tendon tears.
How Is a Torn Triceps Treated?
It can be as simple as resting your elbow for a few weeks, or it could require surgery.
Other over-the-counter medications, such as Tylenol (acetaminophen) can also be used to help decrease your pain.
Once your splint is removed,physical therapy will help youregain movement and strength in your elbow.
Surgical Treatment
Triceps tendon tears that involve more than 50% of the tendon require surgery.
If your tendon is no longer attached to the bone, it will be screwed back on.
Timeframes for recovery in physical therapy after surgery depend on your specific surgeon’s protocols.
In general, you’ll spend a couple of weeks in a brace.
Around four weeks after surgery, you’ll be able to start moving your elbow again.
However, you won’t be able to start doing heavy lifting for four to six months.
Complications
Complications can occur after triceps repair, whether you’ve had surgery or not.
For example, you might not regain full elbow extension (straightening).
How Long Does a Torn Tricep Take to Heal?
Keep in mind, however, that partial tricep tears can always progress to full tears, delaying recovery.
A torn triceps that is repaired with surgery will also take months to heal.
Very light exercises that do not involve resistance can typically be started around the eight- to 12-week mark.
Triceps tears that are treated promptly have a higher chance of full recovery.
Summary
While triceps tears are uncommon, they can be serious.
This injury affects men more often than women and usually occurs from trauma or sports/exercise activities.
Treatment depends on the extent of your injury.
Conservative treatment includes splinting, ice, medications, and physical therapy.
Some triceps tears require surgery, followed by splinting and physical therapy to regain movement and strength.
In both cases, recovery can last for six months or more.
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