Injuries to the acromioclavicular joint. Diagnosis and management

Injuries to the acromioclavicular (AC) joint are common in athletes. Diagnosis can often be made clinically, but radiographs are needed to classify the severity of injury. Treatment is often conservative, consisting of immobilization or symptomatic modalities. Surgery is generally performed on patients with the more severe injuries. Controversy surrounds the treatment of type III injuries. The current trend is toward nonsurgical options, consisting of either symptomatic treatment or immobilization. If surgery is necessary, coracoclavicular (CC) fixation is currently the treatment of choice.