Medial dislocation of the long head of the biceps tendon: Magnetic resonance imaging evaluation

Medial dislocation of the long head of the biceps branchii tendon is a rare occurrence and is often associated with degenerative or traumatic tears of the rotator cuff, specifically tears of the subscapularis tendon. Following a dislocation, the biceps tendon will assume either an intra- or extra-articular position depending on whether or not the subscapularis tendon detaches from its humoral insertion. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been found to provide valuable information concerning the location of the biceps tendon and the integrity of the rotator cuff. In this report, three patients with suspected dislocations of the biceps tendon are evaluated using MRI.