Complications after operative treatment of high-grade acromioclavicular injuries

Editorial Commentary: Suture-Button Fixation May Have Advantages Over Screw Fixation for Glenoid Bone Grafting Procedures for Shoulder Instability

Orthopaedic suture buttons have been increasingly used in a variety of procedures, such as syndesmosis stabilization, coracoclavicular ligament repair, anterior cruciate ligament graft fixation, and Lisfranc injury treatment. In many instances, suture-button fixation constructs have shown equivalent, if not superior, outcomes to screw fixation. More recently, suture buttons have been suggested for osseous fixation of the coracoid during the Latarjet procedure, as well as other anterior (or posterior) bone block reconstruction of the glenoid using distal tibial allograft, tricortical iliac crest, or distal clavicle in cases of complex shoulder instability. Suture buttons offer several unique advantages, including the ability to tension and retension graft fixation, smaller driller paths with bone preservation, less osteolysis, lower risk of hardware removal, and greater ease of hardware revision and/or secondary surgery. However, certain disadvantages also exist, such as higher implant costs, less time-zero implant rigidity, technical difficulty, and, potentially, less mediolateral stability of the bone graft. Time will tell if these suture-button constructs will supplant traditional screw fixation for the Latarjet procedure in terms of clinical and cost-effectiveness.

Current Concepts in Management of Acromioclavicular Joint Injury

Background: The management of acromioclavicular joint injuries requires a thorough understanding of the anatomy and biomechanics of the joint, as well as knowledge of the pertinent physical exam findings and classification to determine an appropriate treatment approach, whether operative or nonoperative. In this article, we present a narrative review of the current state of understanding surrounding these issues. Although there are a large number of options for operative intervention, we additionally present our experience with anatomic coracoclavicular ligament reconstruction (ACCR) with imbrication of the deltoid fascia. Methods: A retrospective review of prospectively collected data on a total of 45 patients who had undergone ACCR between 2003 and 2016 were collected. Results: We found that improvements were seen in American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Score (ASES) (53 ± 19 to 81 ± 23), Simple Shoulder Test (SST) (6 ± 3 to 12 ± 13), Constant-Murley (CM) (60 ± 18 to 92 ± 8), and Rowe (67 ± 14 to 89 ± 11) and the mean post-operative SANE score was 86 ± 17. Conclusions: ACCR has the advantage of addressing both horizontal and vertical stability with good outcomes.

Risk for Fracture with Acromioclavicular Joint Reconstruction and Strategies for Mitigation

Acromioclavicular (AC) joint injuries are a common cause of shoulder pain, especially among athletes. Surgical reconstruction of the AC joint can lead to complications such as fracture of the coracoid process, clavicle or acromion, which can negatively affect the patient's outcome. The purpose of this review is to discuss the risk factors for fractures associated with AC joint reconstruction, as well as the strategies that can be used to mitigate this risk. Risk factors for fractures include low mineral density, coracoid/clavicle drilling, larger holes in the coracoid, and the number of tunnels used for reconstruction.