Arthroscopic treatment of acute acromioclavicular joint dislocation.

Dipartimento di Scienze Ortopediche e Traumatologiche Mario Boni, Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia, Università degli Studi dell'Insubria, Varese, Italy.

An original technique for the treatment of acute acromioclavicular (AC) joint dislocations is proposed. It consists of a closed reduction and stabilization of the AC joint, positioning a cannulated screw between the clavicle and the coracoid under arthroscopic control, without any exposure to x-rays. The conoid and trapezoid ligaments are not sutured or reconstructed. The screw is finally removed under local anesthesia 12 weeks after surgery. The described procedure has been performed in 9 patients. Short-term preliminary results show an excellent functional outcome without any residual pain. Among the advantages of the technique are that it does not require specific instrumentation, is a minimally invasive approach, has the possibility of searching the glenohumeral joint for associated lesions and eventually treating them, and has the benefits of not exposing the patient or surgical team to ionizing radiation.

PMID: 15241323 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]