Operative treatment of acromioclavicular joint injuries and results

A variety of pathological conditions affect the acromioclavicular joint and the surrounding structures. For each of these, different procedures have been described with varying degrees of success. This article focuses on contemporary procedures. The acromioclavicular joint can be reapproximated using one of three stabilization techniques: (1) primary fixation across the acromioclavicular joint, (2) secondary stabilization of the joint by recreating the anatomic linkage between the distal clavicle and the coracoid process, or (3) dynamic stabilization of the joint by creating an inferiorly directed force on the distal clavicle. These methods are not mutually exclusive and may be combined in a single operative setting to produce a final construct with superior mechanical stability.