Surgical management of acromioclavicular dislocations

AC injuries are common in the military population. Many AC injuries can be treated conservatively with good success. Due to requirements of a military population, however, conservative management may fail at a higher rate than in civilian populations. Surgical management is indicated for high-grade injuries and those that are refractory to nonoperative treatment, as well as in those patients at high risk for failure of conservative management. Many techniques exist and there is no single superior technique. The anatomic reconstruction is evolving into a more consistent procedure with good biomechanical support. However, complication rates and failures are higher than ideal; thus, the surgeon must approach this injury with meticulous attention to detail and technique.