Surgical treatment of pectoralis major muscle rupture with adjustable cortical button.

Objective: To assess the tendon reconstruction technique for total rupture of the pectoralis major muscle using an adjustable cortical button.

Methods: Prospective study of 27 male patients with a mean age of 29.9 (SD = 5.3 years) and follow-up of 2.3 years. The procedure consisted of autologous grafts taken from the semitendinosus and gracilis tendons and an adjustable cortical button. Patients were evaluated functionally by the Bak criteria.

Results: The surgical treatment of pectoralis major muscle tendon reconstruction was performed in the early stages (three weeks) in six patients (22.2%) and in 21 patients (77.8%), in the late stages. Patients operated with the adjustable cortical button technique obtained 96.3% excellent or good results, with only 3.7% having poor results (Bak criteria). Of the total, 85.2% were injured while performing bench press exercises and 14.8%, during the practice of Brazilian jiu-jitsu or wrestling. All weight-lifting athletes had history of anabolic steroid use.

Conclusion: The early or delayed reconstruction of ruptured pectoralis major muscle tendons with considerable muscle retraction, using an adjustable cortical button and autologous knee flexor grafts, showed a high rate of good results.