Management of dislocations of both ends of the clavicle

We treated six patients who had a dislocation of both ends of the clavicle (an anterior dislocation of the sternoclavicular joint and a posterior dislocation of the acromioclavicular joint). Two patients who had fewer demands on the shoulder--an elderly woman and a woman who had had an ipsilateral amputation of the hand--did well; they had only minor symptoms after non-operative management. The other four patients (all men) had continuing pain at the acromioclavicular joint; each had a reconstruction of the joint, which resulted in a painless, full range of motion and return to normal activity. No patient had continuing pain in the sternoclavicular joint.