Iatrogenic Excessive Clavicle Resection as a Complication of Arthroscopic Distal Clavicle Excision.

Arthroscopic distal clavicle excision (DCE) is a reliable procedure to treat acromioclavicular joint arthritis. Typically, only 1 to 2 cm of distal clavicle should be removed. Resection of too much bone can lead to instability of the joint or lack of support to the shoulder. We describe 2 patients who had excessive clavicular bone removed arthroscopically, leading to irreparable clavicular pain and dysfunction. The 2 female patients, ages 56 and 60 years, presented to our clinic with continued pain after DCE. Both had pain intractable with nonoperative treatment and loss of range of motion of the shoulder. Radiographs revealed a distal clavicle defect of 7.5 cm in 1 patient. The second patient had a 2-cm distal clavicular defect with an adjacent 2-cm clavicle bone fragment between the defect and residual clavicle shaft. Both underwent surgery with subtotal claviculectomy for pain control. During surgery, 1 patient had a subclavian vein requiring vascular repair. After 1 year of follow-up, both patients had reduced but residual pain and restricted range of motion. Only 1 patient could rejoin her preinjury occupation. Neither patient could continue with preinjury recreational sports. Excessive removal of the distal clavicle during DCE can result in continued pain and disability of the shoulder. Methods to visualize the anatomy of the distal clavicle and its articulation to the acromion should be considered when performing this operation arthroscopically. Reoperation to remove subtotal clavicle has good clinical outcomes but may lead to serious complications due to the proximity to major neurovascular structures. [Orthopedics. 2024;47(1):e57-e60.].

Trapezoidal Wedge Osteotomy with Ligament Reconstruction for Chronic Instability following Failed ACLR.

We describe a case of a failed anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction that underwent revision surgery. Lachman, anterior drawer and valgus stress tests were all grade 3, indicating ACL and medial collateral ligament (MCL) insufficiency. Posterior tibial slope (PTS) was 18° and coronal alignment was 5° valgus. The PTS and valgus alignment were possible contributing factors to the failure of the ACL reconstruction (ACLR). A novel approach was taken wherein an anterior closing wedge osteotomy (ACWO) and varising osteotomy were done after performing a tibial tuberosity (TT) osteotomy followed by revision ACLR and MCL reconstruction (MCLR). At 2-year follow-up, the coronal alignment changed to 1° varus and the tibial slope to 5°. The Knee Society Score improved from 34 pre-operatively to 90, with the patient returning to weightlifting and pre-injury activity levels.