Acromioclavicular Separation with the Fracture of the Coracoid Process: 2 Cases report

The acromioclavicular separation (AC separation) is a common injury, which is often accompanied by the rupture of the coracoclavicular ligament (CC ligament) in severe occasions. In rare forms of AC separation, the fracture of the coracoid process would occur rather than the rupture of the CC ligament. Only 31 cases of such injury have been reported in the English literature. We present 2 additional cases with literature review. The fracture of the coracoid process is not readily seen on anteroposterior shoulder radiograms. Severe AC separation without widening of CC distance on anteroposterior shoulder radiogram heralds the fracture of the coracoid process.

The Treatment of Acromioclavicular Separation / 대한정형외과학회잡지

Acromioclavicular joint injuries are recently increased, but there are still controversies as to the proper choice of treatment. We treated thirty cases of acromioclavicular injuries, among these, twenty five cases were done by operative method and five cases conservatively from August 1979 to June 1988. The results were as follows, 1. The injuries were composed of one case of Type 1, 7 cases of Type 2 and 22 cases of Type 3. 2. The result of conservative treatment consisted of 2 cases of good, 1 case of fair and 2 cases of poor. 3. The final outcome of operative method was better than that of conservative one, which consisted of 16 cases of good and 9 cases of fair. 4. The cause of fair results in operative method was thought to residual lexity of the repaired coracoclavicular ligament. 5. The key point of operative treatment in acromioclavicular separation was firm and strong reconstruction of the coracoclavicular ligament. 6. Modified method of coracoclavicular ligament reconstruction using coracoacromial ligament with bone block has been tried.

Treatment of Complete Acromioclavicular Separation by Coracoclavicular Wiring / 대한정형외과학회잡지

Acromioclavicular joint injuries are frequently seen with the recent increase of traffic and industrial accidents. The treatment of complete separation of the acromioclavicular joint has been, and is still, a subject of controversy. In view of a recent trend, anatomical reduction of acromioclavicular joint, and rigid internal fixation method is preferable, especially in type 3 injury. We operated on 16 cases of complete acromioclavicular separation by the technique of coracoclavicular wiring from March 1983 to Feb. 1987. The following results were obtained. 1. The functional results were excellent; 12 cases(75%), good; 3 cases(19a%), and fair ; 1 cases(6%). 2. The complications include wire reakage ; 1 case(6%), bony erosion ; 3 cases(19%) and subluxation, 1 case(6%). 3. The advantages of coracoclavicular wiring. 1) Avoids violation of acromioclavicular joint but does not restrict rotation of the clavicle. 2) The operation is simple to perform. 3) Postoperative immobilization is minimal. 4) Removal of the wire is easy under local anesthesia. 5) This method corresponds to the coracoclavicular ligment biomechanically. Therefore, coracoclavicular wiring is thought to be a good operative method in the treatment of complete acromioclavicular separation.

Treatment of Acromioclavicular Separation and Fractures by Modified Kenny Howard sling-halter / 대한정형외과학회잡지

There are many procedures for the treatment of acromioclavicular separation but there are still controversies concerning the best management of these injuries. The cases of 20 acromioclavicular separations and 3 distal end fractures of clavicle were treated by conservative method with modified Kenny Howard sling-halter using long arm cast at the department of Orthopedic Surgery, College of medicine,Ewha Womans University, during the thirty six months period from March 1982 to February 1985. The following results were obtained. 1. The average duration of immobilization was 5 weeks at the grade II of acromioclavicular separation and fracture of distal end of clavicle and 6 weeks at the grade III of acromioclavicular separation. 2. The functional results were 17 excellents(73.8%), 5 goods(21.9%), and 1 fair(4.3%). 3. The complications were 3 frozen shoulders(13.0%), 2 subluxations(8.6%), and 1 skin necrosis on the elbow(4.3%). 4. The authors immobilized the upper extremity with long arm cylinder cast of 90° flexion position instead of initial harness, so that it was applied easily and the patient felt very comfortable. 5. When the fracture and severe displacement were occurred at the midthird of the clavicle, it could be reduced and maintained with the long arm cylinder cast and strap.

The Treatment of Acromioclavicular Separation / 대한정형외과학회잡지

There are many procedures for treatment of injuries of acromioclavicular separation but there are still con- roversies concerning the best management of these injuries. With this in mind, we treated surgically 22 cases of acromioclavicular separation of which 3 cases were old type 2 and 19 cases were type 3 in the department of orthopaedic surgery, Eul Ji General Hospital from March 1977 to darch 1982. The results were as follows: l. Of 22 cases, 21 cases (95.5%) were male with peak incidence in the 3rd and 5th decades (90.9%). 2. The most common causes of the injuries were traffic accidents (63.6%) and followed by falling from height (22.7%). 3. The diagnosis in type 2 and type 3 injuries is based on the clavicular displacement and instability at the acromioclavicular joint. 4. Operative treatment consists of Weaver and Dunn method (54.5%), modified Phemister method (18.2%), Neviaser method (13.0%), Stewart method (9.1%) and modified Henry method (4.5%). 5. The operative procedure in old type 2 and typc 3 injuries is good treatment of acromioclavicular separation.