Chronic Tear of the Pectoralis Major

This is a commonly overlooked sports injury. It usually happens with a heavy bench press, or a football tackle. The patients feels a 'rip' or 'pop', and there is considerable pain and swelling. The swelling obscures the defect in the muscle. At this late stage, the left photo at 4 months and the right at 5 years, it is easy to make the diagnosis. This is unfortunate to make the diagnosis late, as surgery is difficult, if not impossible. In order to detect the defect, the patient should press the hands together in front of him.

The left photo is 4 months post injury to  the right pectoralis major. The right photo is 5 years post injury to the left pectoralis muscle.