Uncommon injuries: Pectoralis major ruptures part I

In the first of a two-part series, Chris Mallac explains the functional anatomy of the pectoralis major and its tendon, the situations that place the tendon at risk for injury, and the signs and symptoms of a ruptured tendon.

The first reported case of pectoralis major (PM) tendon rupture occured in Paris in 1822. Up until 2010, only 365 cases were documented in the literature⁽¹⁾. However, three-quarters of them occurred within the last 10 years of the review, signifying a significant uptick in the occurrence of this injury. Despite the evolution of sports and increased sports participation since the 1800s, this injury remains rather rare⁽²⁾.

Pectoralis major tendon ruptures tend to occur in athletes aged 20 to 40 years-old. It afflicts males much more than females. In fact, the first report of a female under 40 years old suffering a PM rupture didn’t appear in the literature until 2019⁽¹⁾.