Biceps Femoris Tendon Subluxation Snapping Knee, Treated by a Modified Kennedy Procedure: A Case Report

Abstract

Introduction: Snapping biceps femoris tendon over the fibular head is an uncommon cause of snapping knee. We report a rare case of knee pain secondary to subluxation of the long head of the biceps femoris over the fibular head in an athlete with no history of trauma. This case was treated surgically by a modification of Kennedy procedure. Case Report: A 21-year-old Lebanese athletic male presented for a nauseating feeling of something snapping over his lateral knee since the age of 12 when performing self-defense sports with no history of trauma. Snapping begins when the patient flexes above 80° during squatting, cycling, gym exercises, and climbing stairs. Conclusion: A symptomatic snapping biceps femoris tendon is a rare phenomenon with limited reports in the literature. When conservative treatment fails, surgery may be the only successful treatment. A modification of the Kennedy procedure was used. Rerouting of the subluxating superior aspect of the tendon without further dissection and release appears to be an effective treatment that can result in symptom resolution as long as no anatomic variants are present.

Painful Unilateral Knee Snapping after Hyperextension Injury and Meniscus Tear

“…The diagnosis of a snapping biceps is uncommon, and it is routinely mistaken for more common pathologies. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 This case demonstrates an initially missed snapping biceps due to concurrent lateral meniscus tear after injury. Pain and snapping from the biceps femoris insertion can be due to anomalous anatomy of the insertion itself, dysmorphia of the fibular head or from trauma.…”