Radiographic features and complications following coracoclavicular ligament reconstruction

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic surgery
• Radiology
• Sports medicine

Background:

• Coracoclavicular ligament reconstruction is a surgical procedure to address injuries to the shoulder.
• Postoperative radiographic evaluation is crucial for assessing outcomes and complications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To document the radiographic features and complications following coracoclavicular ligament reconstruction.
• To investigate the relationship between observed radiographic findings and patient symptomatology.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective review of 55 patient charts and 32 subjects who underwent coracoclavicular ligament reconstruction between January 2012 and August 2018.
• Analysis of postoperative radiographs for acromioclavicular alignment, coracoclavicular width, distal clavicular osteolysis, osseous tunnel widening, and hardware issues.
• Correlation of radiographic findings with imaging follow-up indications (symptomatic vs. routine) and assessment of inter-reader agreement.

Main Results:

• Loss of acromioclavicular reduction (78%) and coracoclavicular interval widening (76%) were the most frequent findings.
• Distal clavicular osteolysis occurred in 66% of cases and was associated with loss of acromioclavicular reduction (p=0.032).
• Tunnel widening was observed in 82% of patients with multiple follow-up radiographs; 19% experienced hardware complications. No radiographic feature correlated significantly with symptoms.

Conclusions:

• Common radiographic abnormalities after coracoclavicular ligament reconstruction include loss of acromioclavicular joint reduction, widening of the coracoclavicular interval, distal clavicular osteolysis, and tunnel widening.
• These radiographic findings do not appear to be directly correlated with the presence or absence of patient symptoms.