Project description:The biomechanical and anatomical complexity of the acromioclavicular joint makes its repair techniques particularly challenging. High rates of reduction subsidence and construction failures transversally affect both anatomic and nonanatomic repair techniques. The importance of addressing both vertical and horizontal instability has been highlighted in recent years. The authors aim to describe a surgical technique that combines vertical, horizontal, and rotational stabilization, in an attempt to restore the coracoacromioclavicular circle of stability.
Project description:Acromioclavicular (AC) dislocation is a common lesion often resulting from a sports injury. Nowadays, treatment is still controversial mainly in grade III lesions according to the Rockwood classification. For most surgically treated AC acute dislocations, treatment is performed with an arthroscopic procedure that anatomically reconstructs the coracoclavicular ligaments. Increasing knowledge about AC joint biomechanics has underlined the importance of its horizontal stability through the superior and inferior AC ligaments. Moreover, the pattern of lesion tends to repeat itself, with the superior AC ligament being torn most frequently from the clavicular side in a peeling fashion. Therefore, the purpose of this note is to describe the technical aspects of additional horizontal stability through superior AC ligament repair using suture anchors.
Project description:We present an arthroscopic technique for stabilization of chronic acromioclavicular (AC) joint instability using a transclavicular-transcoracoidal button technique, combined with a coracoclavicular and AC ligament reconstruction using the gracilis tendon. This arthroscopic technique achieves an anatomic reduction of the clavicle without further implant removal. It ensures vertical and horizontal stabilization of the AC joint. Using a horizontal drill hole through the clavicle and looping the gracilis tendon graft around the coracoid avoids weakening of the coracoid with the risk of fracture.
Project description:Loss of reduction is the most common complication following acromioclavicular dislocations treatment, with literature showing greater postoperative coracoclavicular distances associated with worse clinical results. We present a surgical gesture that aims to help surgeons achieve and secure an anatomic acromioclavicular reduction during coracoclavicular fixation. This technique has the possibility to improve radiological and functional results of acromioclavicular dislocation treatment.
Project description:Acromioclavicular joint separations are common shoulder injuries in the active patient population. Nonoperative management is recommended for Rockwood type I and II injuries, whereas surgical reconstruction is recommended for type IV and VI separations. The management for type III and V injuries is more controversial and is determined on a case-by-case basis. A multitude of surgical reconstruction techniques exist, and there is little evidence to support one technique over another. The anatomic technique aims at reconstructing the coracoclavicular ligaments and bringing the clavicle back into its anatomic position. When the anatomic technique is augmented with a graft, biomechanical studies have shown superior reconstruction strength and stability compared with standard nonanatomic techniques. Additionally, anatomic reconstruction allows for better cosmesis and functional outcome measures at midterm follow-up compared with nonanatomic techniques. In this Technical Note, we describe our preferred technique for anatomic repair of acromioclavicular joint separation using a semitendinosus allograft.
Project description:We describe the technical aspects of an arthroscopy-assisted procedure indicated for the management of acute unstable acromioclavicular joint injuries, consisting of a synthetic augmentation of both the coracoclavicular and acromioclavicular ligaments, that anatomically reproduces the coracoclavicular biomechanics and offers fixation that keeps the torn ends of the ligaments facing one another, thus allowing healing of the native structures without the need for a second surgical procedure for metal hardware removal.
Project description:Septic arthritis of native joints is uncommon, but the condition can be threatening to life and limb if left untreated.1 Septic arthritis of the acromioclavicular (AC) joint of the shoulder is particularly rare and has only appeared sparsely in medical literature, mainly through individual case reports. Early recognition and treatment of the condition is vital, but diagnosis of septic AC arthritis can be difficult due to its presentation with vague symptoms and nonspecific laboratory findings. This case report describes the care of a patient with poorly managed diabetes who presented to the emergency department with one month of pain and swelling of the left shoulder and two weeks of pain and swelling in the right ankle. Imaging revealed fluid in the AC joint, and laboratory evaluation showed an elevation in inflammatory markers, including leukocyte count, C-reactive protein (CRP), and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). The patient's hospital course was complicated by methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus Aureus bacteremia without evidence of sepsis. The patient underwent open debridement and washout of both the ankle and AC joint without complication. After recovery, the patient was discharged to a rehabilitative center with IV antibiotics and weekly follow up care with infectious disease specialists. This case illustrates the importance of early diagnosis and treatment of septic arthritis, even in less common joint spaces, to prevent progression of this dangerous disease.TopicsSeptic arthritis, acromioclavicular joint, diabetes, bacteremia.
Project description:The existing literature agrees on surgical management for Rockwood grade IV and V injuries, but there is no consensus which type of surgery is the most appropriate one. More than 150 surgeries have been described for this condition in the literature. In an injury of less than 3 weeks, most surgeons prefer suture-button devices for coracoclavicular stabilization. Recent biomechanical studies have demonstrated that coracoclavicular stabilization provides good vertical stability but poor horizontal stability of acromioclavicular joint. Hence, they recommend acromioclavicular stabilization along with coracoclavicular stabilization. The use of a suture-button device for coracoclavicular stabilization requires special implants and instruments along with high surgical skills to drill precisely placed holes in the clavicle and the coracoid in order to avoid fractures from the drill hole. Due to relatively smaller clavicle and coracoid in Asian population, making holes in the clavicle and the coracoid has increased risk of fracture. We describe a technique in which no drill holes are made in the clavicle or the coracoid. In our technique, suture tape is used, which is looped around the coracoid and the clavicle, and the limbs are tied over the clavicle to maintain the coracoclavicular distance. The remaining limbs of suture tape is further looped through the tunnels made in acromion and tied over the acromion to augment the acromioclavicular ligament. The potential advantages of this technique are no costly implant and instruments are required, avoidance of complications associated with drill holes in coracoid and clavicle, both coracoclavicular and acromioclavicular joints are stabilized, direct repair of the acromioclavicular ligament can be performed, and no need of second surgery for implant removal.
Project description:Acromioclavicular (AC) joint injuries are common injuries, especially in the young and active, male population. AC joint injuries account for 12% of all injuries of the shoulder girdle in the overall population. Although conservative treatment is recommended for Rockwood type I and type II injuries, there is controversial debate about optimal treatment for type III injuries. High-grade injuries are typically treated operatively to avoid painful sequelae. A vast number of different surgical methods have been described over the past few decades. Recent advances in arthroscopic surgery have enabled the shoulder surgeon to treat acute and chronic AC lesions arthroscopically assisted. Clinical studies have already shown good and reliable results. Although surgeons agree that a biological augmentation is required to minimize the risk of recurrent instability in chronic cases, a gold standard still needs to be defined. We present an arthroscopically assisted biological augmentation technique to reconstruct the AC and coracoclavicular ligaments, protected by a button-suture tape construct for chronic AC joint instability. The presented arthroscopic biological augmentation technique uses less and/or smaller drill holes in the clavicle and coracoid than previously described, thus reducing weakening of the bony structures. At the same time it enhances both horizontal and vertical stability.
Project description:Injuries to the acromioclavicular (AC) joint are becoming common with contact sports and bike accidents. It is well known that in AC dislocations, the first structure to fail is the AC capsule followed by the trapezoid and conoid ligaments. The function of these ligaments must be restored to restore the anatomy and physiology of the AC joint to get the best results. Until now, no technique has emerged as the gold standard for restoration of the AC joint anatomy and function. In our technique, the stress is on recreating the anatomy to make it more individualized based on individual variations. This Technical Note describes a procedure to reconstruct the coracoclavicular ligaments and AC joint by an arthroscopy-assisted technique. Arthroscopy helps to diagnose additional intra-articular pathologies that can be treated simultaneously, and better preparation of the undersurface of the coracoid helps in bone-to-graft healing. Our approach is more individualized as clavicle tunneling is done according to the size of the coracoid base instead of a fixed distance. Vertical stability is provided by coracoclavicular ligament reconstruction, horizontal stability is provided by AC ligament reconstruction, and the articular disc is recreated by soft-tissue graft interposition, thus restoring the complete anatomy.