Two-year outcomes of ultrasound-guided percutaneous tenotomy for long head of the biceps tendinopathy.

BACKGROUND

The long head of the biceps tendon (LHBT) is a common source of anterior shoulder pain, particularly in older adults, and may persist despite conservative treatment. Arthroscopic tenotomy is effective but requires an operating room, anaesthesia, and postoperative restrictions, which may be suboptimal in elderly or comorbid patients. Ultrasound-guided percutaneous LHBT tenotomy has emerged as a minimally invasive alternative, yet long-term clinical outcomes remain insufficiently reported. This study aimed to evaluate two-year pain, functional, and sleep-quality outcomes following ultrasound-guided percutaneous LHBT tenotomy in patients with isolated LHBT tendinopathy.

METHODS

This retrospective case series included 51 consecutive patients (mean age 61.8 ± 4.8 years) with MRI-confirmed isolated LHBT tendinopathy who underwent ultrasound-guided percutaneous tenotomy between 2022 and 2024. Pain (VAS), functional scores (ASES and Constant-Murley), and sleep quality (PSQI) were assessed at baseline and at three, six, 12, and 24 months. Repeated-measures ANOVA or Friedman tests were used for longitudinal analysis, with effect sizes reported as partial eta-squared. Complications and patient satisfaction were recorded at the final follow-up.

RESULTS

All outcome measures improved significantly at each postoperative time point compared with baseline (p < 0.001). Mean VAS decreased from 6.84 ± 1.29 to 2.16 ± 0.89 at 24 months (η2 = 0.71), with 92.1% achieving the minimal clinically important difference (MCID). Functional outcomes improved markedly (ASES: 35.7 → 85.1; Constant-Murley: 60.4 → 82.5), both with large effect sizes (η2 = 0.68 and 0.64). PSQI improved from 9.2 ± 3.1 to 4.8 ± 2.2 (η2 = 0.56), reducing clinically significant sleep disturbance from 78.4% to 29.4%. Four patients (7.8%) developed asymptomatic Popeye deformity; no major complications occurred. Patient satisfaction at 24 months was 88.2%.

CONCLUSIONS

Ultrasound-guided percutaneous LHBT tenotomy is a safe, minimally invasive, and effective procedure that provides durable improvements in pain, function, and sleep quality over two years, with a low complication rate. It represents a valuable alternative to arthroscopic tenotomy in appropriately selected patients.