title: Acromio-clavicular repair using two different techniques.
abstract: Acromio-clavicular joint (ACJ) injuries represent nearly half of all athletic shoulder injuries. Stability of this joint depends on the integrity of the acromio-clavicular and coracoclavicular ligaments. Although the traumatic acromioclavicular joint separation is a well-known topic, there are different classifications, diagnostic procedures, concepts of intervention, and a great variety of implants. In this paper, we present an overview of the recent literature about this issue and the results of a retrospective non-randomized study with 2 different techniques. At the first Orthopedic Department of University of Pisa, a retrospective study was performed starting from January 2007 to February 2011 in our electronic database. We selected patient treated with two different techniques (tight-rope(®) system and hook plate) by the same senior surgeon with experience in shoulder surgery. The mean Costant score was 90 for the tight-rope(®) system group and 75 for the hook plate group. At the final follow-up, most of the patients had returned to their preinjury level of activity. Two patients had a breakage of the fixating system. The above-mentioned techniques provided satisfactory results with no loss of reduction except in two cases. The use of the hook plate is useful in fracture-dislocation of ACJ, but this requires another surgery to remove it. On the contrary, the use of the tight-rope(®) system does not require a new surgery or use of expensive synthetic graft or a graft harvested from a distant donor site.
authors: Orthopedics and Tramatology I Department, University of Pisa, via Paradisa 2, 56121, Pisa, Italy, l.andreani@hotmail.it.
authors: Lorenzo
authors: L
authors: Andreani
authors: Enrico
authors: E
authors: Bonicoli
authors: Paolo
authors: P
authors: Parchi
authors: Nicola
authors: N
authors: Piolanti
authors: Lisanti
authors: L
authors: Michele
mesh_terms: D000173:Acromioclavicular Joint / Q000293:injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D004204:Joint Dislocations / Q000601:surgery*; D008023:Ligaments, Articular / Q000293:injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019637:Orthopedic Procedures / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult