JANUARY 2013 |Volume36•Number1 n Case Report abstract Full article available online at Healio.com/Orthopedics. Search: 20121217-30 Injury to the distal triceps tendon is uncommon and can be difficult to diagnose, es- pecially when a partial rupture or tear occurs. In situations where an incomplete dis- ruption to the musculotendinous unit occurs, a palpable defect or clear functional loss may not be present. Advanced imaging techniques, such as magnetic resonance imaging or ultrasound, can be used to confirm the diagnosis and define the extent of injury. The treatment of a complete rupture of the distal triceps tendon is repair or reconstruction, whereas the management of a patient with a partial triceps rupture is related to the pain, functional deficit, and expectations of the patient. This article presents 2 patients with chronic, near complete disruptions of the distal triceps tendon. In both patients, surgical reconstruction of the injured tendon was accomplished using ipsilateral palmaris longus autograft. This technique allows the treating surgeon to harvest the graft from the ipsilateral upper extremity. The palmaris autograft is then used to reconstruct the injured portion of the triceps tendon using a Pulvertaft weave technique through the intact triceps tendon and osseous tunnels within the proximal ulna. This technique allows for easy surgical setup and harvest of autograft tendon and provides a structurally sound technique for a tension-free recon- struction of the injured tendon. It also permits early postoperative elbow range of mo- tion, with active elbow extension allowed at 6 weeks. The authors have used this tech- nique successfully in the treatment of chronic partial tears of the distal triceps tendon. The authors are from the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The authors have no relevant financial relationships to disclose. Correspondence should be addressed to: G. Russell Huffman, MD, MPH, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Spruce St, 2 Silverstein Pavilion, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (russell.huffman@uphs.upenn.edu). doi: 10.3928/01477447-20121217-30 Triceps Tendon Reconstruction Using Ipsilateral Palmaris Longus Autograft in Unrecognized Chronic Tears JOHN A. SCOLARO, MD; MATTHEW H. BLAKE, MD; G. RUSSELL HUFFMAN, MD, MPH Figure 2: Intraoperative photograph showing the palmaris tendon interwoven into the intact lateral triceps tendon using a Pulvertaft weave. 2 Figure 1: Illustration showing autograft palmaris tendon woven into the defect and docked into the proximal ulna via 2 bone tunnels. 1 e117