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Pectoralis major injury

What is pectoralis major rupture?

The pectoralis muscle is located at the front of your chest. It comprises:

  • The pectoralis major – the larger of the two muscles which helps to move the arms in front of the body
  • The pectoralis minor – a thin, flat muscle immediately underneath the pectoralis major which lifts the rib cage and moves the shoulder blade forwards

Both the pectoralis major muscle and its tendon (which attaches to the upper arm bone) can become torn. This is a fairly uncommon injury that mostly affects men aged between 20 and 50, particularly those who use steroids as they strengthen the muscle disproportionately to the tendon.

Pec major repair by Professor Ali Noorani for Professional Footballer Barry

What causes a pectoralis major rupture?

A pectoralis major rupture includes either a partial or total tear of the muscle or tendon. It is usually caused by activities that involve a large amount of force, such as bench press exercises during weightlifting. It can also occur in other high impact sports such as wrestling, rugby or American football, as well as severe trauma and accidents.Damage may occur where the tendon of the pectoralis major joins the upper arm bone or where the muscle joins the tendon. The muscle itself may also rupture or may on rare occasions tear off the sternum

Pectoralis major rupture

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