Biceps Crease Interval Test
Other Names
- Biceps Crease Interval (BCI)
- BCI Test
- Biceps Crease Test
- Distal Biceps Crease Interval Test
- Antecubital Crease Interval Test
- Biceps Crease Measurement Test
- Distal Biceps Tendon Crease Test
Purpose
- Help evaluate the presence of a rupture of the distal biceps brachii tendon as a cause of elbow pain
- Originally described by El Maraghy in 2008[2]
Description
- Objective: quantitively measure the degree of retraction
- Flex the patient’s arm to identify the main antecubital flexion crease
- Extend the elbow and supinate the forearm
- Mark the antecubital flexion crease with a pen
- Stroke the distal biceps back and forth along a central line parallel to its long axis
- Identify the biceps cusp (point where the distal biceps turns sharply toward the antecubital fossa)
- Mark the cusp with a second transverse line
- Measure the distance between the two lines in centimeters to one decimal point
- Repeat the same steps on the contralateral arm for comparison
- Positive test criteria
- Biceps crease interval > 6 cm
- Ratio of affected to unaffected arm > 1.2
Pathology
Evidence
- Devereaux et al[3]
- Sensitivity: 88%
- Specificity: 50%
See Also
References
- ↑ Romeo, Anthony A., Brandon J. Erickson, and Justin W. Griffin, eds. The management of biceps pathology: a clinical guide from the shoulder to the elbow. Springer Nature, 2021.
- ↑ ElMaraghy, Amr, Moira Devereaux, and K. Tsoi. "The biceps crease interval for diagnosing complete distal biceps tendon ruptures." Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research® 466.9 (2008): 2255-2262.
- ↑ Devereaux, Moira W., and Amr W. ElMaraghy. "Improving the rapid and reliable diagnosis of complete distal biceps tendon rupture: a nuanced approach to the clinical examination." The American Journal of Sports Medicine 41.9 (2013): 1998-2004.
Created by:
John Kiel on 29 December 2025 20:28:48
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Last edited:
29 December 2025 23:29:39
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