johnnysletter

I have sustained a Rupture of My Pectoralis Major which will now require surgery to repair.

The Sternal Head of the Pectoralis Major Tendon has torn away from the Humerus Bicipital Grove.

I'm into the chronic stages of the injury due to a late diagnosis.

Does anyone know of a good orthopaedic shoulder surgeon who has experience in treating pec tears?

Has anybody else experienced an injury of this type?

Nytol

I know people who have had that injury, but do not know of any good surgeons.

__________________

To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.



To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

dale_flex

Ive had a pec tear mate and it ain't much fun is it! If you injury is anything like mine (see avatar) then surgery may not be needed. My chest healed up and i rarely have any trouble with it these days due to alot more care and attention being taken on exercise selection and form when training chest. I can still incline press the 60kg DBS in our gym for 8 reps its just flat barbell benching and flyes that are out of the question for me. I think if you still have full range of motion and use of your pec then alot of surgeons wouldn't recommend surgery. Surgery is mainly for cosmetic reasons in most cases and in my case at least I was never going to be Mr O so I can cope with my indentation in my pec. And in some poses it actually helps, Dale

johnnysletter

My injury is pretty bad. Surgery is now the only option for me.
A detached tendon means equals a redundant muscle. Not being able to use the large sternal pectoralis major dramtically reduces chest strength and I can't live with that.

dale_flex - Pressing 60kg dumbells on incline for 8 is a very strong lift. The remaining injured part of your pectoralis major and posterior deltoids must be very developed. Question? Does your upper frame shack due to less stabilisation from you pec injury when carrying out this move overhead?
Do you experience pain along your back and side when on the fly machine?
How long ago did your injury occur? Did you have a full rupture, or partial tear graded 1,2, or 3? Was it the sternal of clavicle pec major?


Nytol - those you know who have experienced this injury are they on this forum? Do you know of there outcome and if they had surgery or not?

Nytol

No they are not on the forum, one had surgery, one did not, both have a similar hollow when they tense the pec though, the guy who had the surgery, was not really that pleased with the outcome TBH.

__________________

To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.



To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

johnnysletter

Nytol - thanks for reply

One had surgery, one didn't?
Guess it depends on the severity of the injury but, the person who had surgery, did he favour better in terms of functional strength then the other conservatively treated guy?

Do you happen to know if he was treated within the first few weeks of his injury or did he wait for a few months before having the repair?

Nytol

Neither had any effect on functional strength really after the pec had healed, it is more just an aesthetics thing.

Both did it ego lifting, one flat BB, one flat DB press.

I think he had it done in the 1st few weeks, it was a few years ago, he is pretty well off so just went and paid for it to be done, the other guy just let it heal as well as it could.

__________________

To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.



To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

xplosivefibres

i did the same!!!yours looks exactly like mine!! BASTARD!!!!!! i hate it!!! absouletly hate it, makes me feel unproportionate and i know it will look bad on stage. I get deep tissue on it now and again, i do feel this has helped!!! also buy one of those masage wheel things that massuses use on sports injurys, yahold it in your hand and run it over the muscle, found this helped faltten it a wee bit!!!
strength is nor where near the same as it was before but thats what ya get for not warming up!!!



lucky i didnt rip it off the bone thnk fk!!!! how did you rip it?? dale _flex

johnnysletter

My tear is severe

Its a full detachment of the sternal pectoralis major tendon from bicipital grove of the humerus insertion. My chest strength is now down by about 80%. For weeks I was unable to move properly.

I've gone from from doing 100kg bench every week to struggling with 10 press ups at best even months after injury. First doctors and physios I saw had told me directly that conservative treatment would be best but it is now clearly not the answer.

Surgery is only option for me at a cost of £4,000 approx not including after care. At the age of 25 and with fitness being my thing in life the choice for me is simple.

Rehab is 6-8months before very light weight training can begin again.

I'm seeking the advise of more than one orthopaedic surgeon first though.
Consultant Lennard Funk of the Manchester Sports Injury Clinic is one of the few surgeons I was able to find who has experience in this type of injury.

I was a novice lifter 110kg bench press raw for 4 reps at best.

My tendon was not able to keep up with muscle strength and broke when performing heavy dumbell flys. If anything positive comes of this, then hopefully its shows that forced heavy reps on exercises like flys, wide grip on bench press and deep tricep dips are more of a risk than a gain. Yes I am stupid, but bear in mind that I could do this exercise week in and out and then without warning my tendon broke. Thats what gets a lot of people, theres no warning, no muscle soreness, no pre-fatigue.
Rapid growth is often attributed to this type of injury. I've got the stretch marks to prove it. Steroid use is often common place aswell.

This type of injury is rarely documented. Most cases go unresolved as people simply put up with the injury. My advise to anyone regarding this thread is to first understand that muscle tissue grows and atrophies on a daily basis, yet tendon growth takes 100days. You are only as strong as your weakest point.

I'll hopefully be having surgery in the forthcoming month. If so then I'll document the events through this thread in order to inform others of how to deal with and prevent pec tears.

In the meantime, if anybody as any experiences to share and knows of any UK based physios and surgeons who deal with this type of injury I'd be glad to here from you.

jabsy

I am sorry to hear about your injury mate, hopefully you will have it sorted soon.

All the best.

__________________

To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

dale_flex

I'm sorry to hear that surgery is your only option. I did mine 4 years ago now ego lifting on the flat bench!!! 150kgs went down for the 8th rep and it just went. I swear you could hear it ripping. Serves me right for employing that little bounce off the sternum for my last couple of reps, i've nobody to blame but myself. As far as stability these days then its not 100% but it improved dramatically since the injury. I have slightly less range of motion in the injured side so i have to be alot more slow and controlled than when I was younger but to be honest it's done me nothing but good. I may have learned that good form is key the hard way but at least i have learnt. I found the hammer strength style leverage machines helped greatly in my rehab I wouldn't recommend pressups like you stated as your un injured side will take most of the load. DBs are the way forward for your re-hab. Also i now employ alot more stretching between sets for my chest workouts, Dale.

johnnysletter

dale_flex
I'll be having surgery in the forthcoming weeks. I'll ask the surgeon first hand about pec repairs 4 years post injury, although I presume you already know all you need to. As an assessment of strength reduction are you able to bench 50% or more of what you once did prior to injury. From most of the studies I've read, adduction and forward press strength declines to any where between 50-70%, but these figures are all quite subjective and I'd be interested to know of you experience first hand.

I'll post pics of my injury soon.
I'll hopefully include pics after surgery as well and keep this thread updated with the rehab as an example for others.

Useful Links on Pectoralis Major Rupture

1) This link shows the procedure I'm going to have.
http://www.vesalius.com/graphics/arc...=530&nrVID=529

2) Disorders of the Shoulder, Second Edition
Details the injury as orthopaedic surgeons would read it.

http://books.google.com/books?id=ssX...#PRA1-PA262,M1

3) Strength Training Anatomy
Recommend viewing this book for interesting insight into muscle anatomy.

http://books.google.com/books?q=pect...G=Search+Books

4) Directory of Pectoralis Major Injuries in orthopaedic papers/books/journals

This link is very useful, showing where to gather good detailed books on sports injuries that cover pectoralis major ruptures.

http://books.google.com/books?q=pect...G=Search+Books


Hopefully this thread is informative for those reading.

Will be looking into tendon strength anaylse over the next few weeks.
Oh and becoming very good at typing with one hand.

Nine Pack

May be worth asking Fantom. He had a serious pec tear & has either had surgery now, or is due to have it. He's based in Birmingham I think.

__________________

To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.


''I reject your reality and substitute my own''
Adam Savage.

johnnysletter

Nine Pack

Thanks for reply.

Do you know of the Manchester Sports Medicine Clinic based at Bridgewater Hopsital. I'm attending this clinic later this week and will hopefully be given the chance for surgery. They seem to have treated this injury at lot more often than most, which why I only want to go with them.

Any advice or info would be appreciated.

There is well known surgery practice at Birmingham (www.bhamknee-shoulder.co.uk/)which which may well be where fantom is going. I know that they have treated this injury surgically about 4-5 times in the last 12months. Unsure if thats in its acute or chronic stages though?

At the moment I'm unable to message other users on this site directly till I've 50posts or over, I believe.

dale_flex

To be honest johnnysletter strength is fine. Flat benching i don't go as heavy as on the injured side as when I start lowering the reps too much and using more weight I feel the front delt start to take the load from my pec. But in my current chest programme I do barbell bench 2nd after incline db press and do a triple drop on it with 130kg for 8-10 reps drop to 80kg for reps then drop to 40 kg for reps. Incline strength is probably better than before the injury as for the last 4 years incline work has been the focus of my chest workouts. But i did have to start from scratch when i first returned from injury with 5kg db presses. Like earlier stated if i thought that my physique was held back by my tear then I would look into having it repaired. But I will never be anything better than a decent amatuer BB at best and there are plenty of them who still have amazing physiques. Dave Fox springs to mind from current british competitiors. Although injured and I do have bad days with my chest I am lucky in that I can still go and have a great workout on it and get some great pumps. Mind muscle connection is key, as soon as my front delt starts getting a pump i know theres either to much weight or my form isn't good enough. Good luck with your surgery i'm sure you'll be tearingup the gym again before you know it, Dale