Arthroscopic resection of the acromioclavicular joint (ARAC)

In 65 patients an arthroscopic resection of the AC-joint (ARAC) was performed. The data of 27 male and 24 female patients with a minimum follow-up of 6 months were available for analysis. 2 patients had bilateral procedures. Patients with rotator cuff tears were excluded from this series. The patients were aged between 22 and 69 years (average 48.4 years). The mean interval from the onset of pain to conservative treatment was 4.6 months and the average period of conservative management prior to surgery was 9.8 months. The indication for ARAC was pain which interfered with the patients' activities of daily living, work, or athletic activities and had not responded to conservative therapy for at least 6 months. Patients' data were recorded before and after surgery according to a 100-point score as well as with a visual analogue scale. The patients' mean preoperative score was 67.8 (+/- 14.6). After surgery, a significant improvement to 93.3 (+/- 12.3) was achieved. Comparing the different parameters we found significant differences in pain during shoulder movement, function, and active range of motion. Prior to surgery the other parameters already scored well, so they did not serve as good discriminators for these patients. The mean reaction length of the lateral clavicle was 23.2 mm inferiorly, 15.9 mm in the middle third, and 13.1 mm superiorly. No ectopic bone formation or postoperative spurs were identified in this series. We could not demonstrate regeneration of the resected parts of the lateral clavicle. No major complication was noted.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)