Anatomical study of biceps tendon’s long head in Vietnamese adults

Introduction: Anatomical variations in the origin of the long head of the biceps brachii tendon may affect the diagnosis and management of several shoulder-related conditions. Objective: To describe the anatomical characteristics of the origin of the long head of the biceps brachii tendon in Vietnamese adult cadavers. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on 30 shoulders from 15 Vietnamese adult cadavers. Dissection was performed to determine attachment to the supraglenoid tubercle, attachment location, Vangsness classification, and to measure the length/width of the attachment footprint. Results: The tendon attached to the supraglenoid tubercle in 18/30 shoulders (60.0%) and showed no attachment to the supraglenoid tubercle in 12/30 (40.0%). The 11 o’clock position accounted for 56.7%; the remaining attachment positions included 10–12 o’clock and 11–12 o’clock (20.0% each) and 12–2 o’clock (3.3%). According to Vangsness classification: type 1, 63.3%; type 3, 20.0%; type 2, 13.3%; type 4, 3.3%. The footprint width was 3.087 ± 1.064 mm and the footprint length was 11.033 ± 1.640 mm; no significant differences were found between left and right shoulders (p = 0.116; p = 0.712). Conclusions: The long head of the biceps tendon shows marked variations in attachment pattern, location, and footprint size; these data provide reference values for imaging diagnosis and surgery involving the labrum–biceps complex.