UCLA Radiological Sciences Proceedings

Calcium pyrophosphate deposition (CPPD) disease is a common condition that results in intra-articular and periarticular deposition of calcium pyrophosphate crystals. Tendon tear, however, is infrequently reported  in these cases. The factors contributing to tendon tear in patients with CPPD disease may include crystal-induced prolonged inflammation that could cause chronic tendinous attrition, anatomical and biomechanical factors that could compromise tendon structural integrity, and/or degenerative tendon changes that might be caused by co-occurring diabetic tendinopathy. We report a case of a high-grade partial tear of the biceps femoris tendon in a patient with type 2 diabetes and CPPD disease.