news feed
Pectoralis Major Rupture
What it Effects
- The Pec Major muscle on the chest wall
- The rupture can be musculotendinous (the point where the muscle becomes a tendon) or the muscle can avulse from its bony attachment (the tendon comes away from the bone)
Who it Effects
- Common in bodybuilders who use anabolic steroids
- Young male athletes
Mechanism of Injury
- Varies but is normally when the muscle is under a lot of tension or excessively stretched
- For example, I have seen this injury in someone who was mugged whose arm was forced back. The person had a lot of musculature around the shoulders so the first thing to go was Pec Major which ruptured completely due to being excessively stretched
- Bench press
Signs and Symptoms
- Popping/snapping sensation at point of rupture
- Immediate pain
- Pain radiating into shoulder and upper arm
- Overactive bulge of muscle on chest wall especially if there a few muscle fibres still intact
- Palpable muscle deformity
- Pain increased on arm movements
- Muscle weakness- on adduction, flexion and medial rotation of the arm
- Bruising (ecchymosis) of the anterior chest wall, axilla, and medial aspect of the arm near the insertion of Pec Major
- Swelling
Treatment
- PRICE
- Surgery
Additional Information
- This injury is extremely rare, most commonly being sustained during a bench press
If you have any questions, please use the comment form below or post a thread on the forums.