Patient Stories

Amanda Ribas was introduced to mixed martial arts fighting by some friends. When she tried it for the first time, she was told she had talent.

“I felt a fire in my heart and I wanted to start training for this,” said Amanda, who had competed in judo before becoming a professional MMA fighter. “I saw a tremendous opportunity to do this thing that I found I loved.”

After turning professional, Amanda got the “huge opportunity” to fight the No. 1 fighter in the 125-pound flyweight weight class. While training, she threw a hook punch and felt a pop.

“I immediately thought, what is this? It’s got to be a cramp. It’s nothing. I have to get ready for this competition,” she said.

But after the swelling and bruising in her biceps didn’t go down, her father suggested she see a physiotherapist.

“I was training with one arm, anything to make it through. I didn’t want to miss the fight,” she said.

Amanda tried to participate with a sore arm, resting it as much as possible before the fight. She didn’t win, losing in a decision by the judges. By the time she returned to São Paulo, Brazil, a week later, she knew she needed to see a specialist.

“I think I had been running on adrenaline,” she said. “My arm just didn’t work.”

Benno Ejnisman, MD (São Paulo, Brazil), was the orthopedic surgeon Amanda went to for help.

“She had acute trauma,” he said. “She tried to treat it conservatively and was able to fight well. But when she came to me, you could see the deformity.”

Dr. Ejnisman diagnosed Amanda with a distal biceps rupture, which occurs when the tendon attaching the biceps muscle to the elbow is torn from the bone.

“She had pain in her left elbow and her arm. And she had the ‘reverse Popeye,’ in which her muscle balled up in her arm,” he said.

Dr. Ejnisman recommended surgery.

“I was nervous because I had surgery before on my knee, when I was competing in judo, and it was very painful,” Amanda said. “But I was so blessed. The only pain I had was from where I had the IV for the anesthesia.”

To repair the tendon, Dr. Ejnisman used Arthrex suture anchors to reattach the tendon to the bone.

“She had a good tendon and we didn’t need to use a graft, which was excellent,” he said.

Once her physician released her to activities, Amanda was back to exercise. In 45 days, she could do strength exercises and returned to full activities in 90 days.

“It’s amazing to me as a surgeon to treat these athletes and see them return to physical activities so quickly,” Dr. Ejnisman said. “It is good for us to be able to have this approach to treat this biceps injury. To be able to give Amanda a good anatomic repair, to see her return to full motion, full strength, it’s wonderful.”

Amanda is now training for her next fight.

“When I had injuries before, I was out eight months where I could do almost nothing. I am four months after my injury, I am fighting again. I trust in my doctor, I trust in the team and I trust in this repair,” she said.

This is not medical advice and is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by a surgeon or other qualified medical professional on the use of these products. You should talk with your physician or health care provider for more information about your health condition and whether Arthrex products might be appropriate for you. The surgeon who performs any surgical procedure is responsible for determining and using the appropriate techniques for surgical procedures on each individual patient. Arthrex recommends that surgeons be trained on the use of any particular product before using it in surgery. A surgeon must always rely on their own professional medical judgment when deciding whether to use a particular product when treating a particular patient. A surgeon must always refer to the package insert, product label, and/or directions for use before using any Arthrex product. Postoperative management is patient-specific and dependent on the treating professional’s assessment. Individual results will vary and not all patients will experience the same postoperative activity level or outcomes. Products may not be available in all markets because product availability is subject to the regulatory approvals and medical practices in individual markets. Please contact Arthrex if you have questions about the availability of products in your area.

This real patient was compensated for the time she took to share her personal experience with this procedure. Physician is a paid consultant of Arthrex, Inc.