Comparison of the TightRope system versus hook plate in acute acromioclavicular joint dislocations: a retrospective analysis

Clavicular tunnel widening after coracoclavicular stabilization surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to (1) estimate the prevalence of clavicular tunnel widening (TW) after coracoclavicular stabilization surgery and its risk factors and (2) assess whether TW is correlated with clavicle fracture or loss of reduction of the acromioclavicular joint (ACJ).

METHODS

In January 2023, 3 electronic databases were searched to collect data on postoperative clavicular TW, its prevalence, magnitude, and correlation with fracture and ACJ loss of reduction. Studies were classified according to the time of surgical intervention, and the clavicular tunnels were categorized by their anatomic location. Mean differences were calculated using a DerSimonian-Laird random-effects model, while binomial outcomes were pooled using the Freeman-Tukey double arcsine transformation. Univariate and multivariate meta-regression analyses were performed to determine the effect of several variables on the proportion of cases with TW.

RESULTS

Fifteen studies (418 shoulders) were included. At the final follow-up, evidence of clavicular TW was found in 70% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 70%-87%; I2 = 89%) of 221 shoulders. Surgeries in acute cases had a lower prevalence of TW (52%) compared to chronic cases (71%) (P < .001). Significant TW was found in the central tunnel (3.2 mm; 95% CI: 1.8-4.6 mm; P < .001; I2 = 72%) for acute injuries and in the medial (1.2 mm; 95% CI: 0.7-1.7 mm; P < .001; I2 = 77%) and lateral (1.5 mm; 95% CI: 0.7-2.3 mm; P < .001; I2 = 77%) tunnels for chronic cases. Single central-tunnel techniques were positively associated with the prevalence of TW (P = .046), while biotenodesis screw fixation was associated with a lower prevalence (P = .004) in chronic cases. Reconstruction of the ACJ ligament complex with tendon grafts or sutures was associated with a higher prevalence of TW (P < .001). Drill sizes between 2.5 and 5 mm were significantly associated with a lower prevalence of TW, regardless of injury chronicity (P = .012). No correlation was found between TW and the loss of ACJ reduction or clavicle fractures.

CONCLUSIONS

This systematic review and meta-analysis explored TW occurrence following coracoclavicular stabilization surgery. TW was observed in 70% of patients at final follow-up, with a higher prevalence in chronic than in acute cases. Modifiable surgical variables, such as single-tunnel tendon graft constructs for acute or chronic injuries and knotted graft procedures for chronic injuries, were significantly associated with TW. Furthermore, the prevalence of TW increased with concomitant surgical treatment of the ACJ ligament complex, and decreased with drill sizes between 2.5 and 5 mm, regardless of lesion chronicity. These surgical variables should be considered when establishing transosseous tunnels for coracoclavicular stabilization. Clavicle fractures and TW mechanisms require further investigation.

Suture Button Could Result in More Functional Outcomes Improvement and Pain Relief Than Hook Plate Technique for Treating Acute Acromioclavicular Joint Dislocation: A Systematic Review of Comparative Studies

PURPOSE

To systematically review the current evidence to compare the differences in outcomes of the suture button (SB) versus hook plate (HP) fixations for treating acute acromioclavicular joint dislocation (ACD).

METHODS

Two independent reviewers performed the literature search based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. A literature search of the Embase, PubMed, and Cochrane Library databases was performed and Level I-IV evidence studies comparing the SB and HP procedures for acute ACD were included. Studies that met the following exclusion criteria were excluded: (1) letters, comments, case reports, reviews, animal studies, cadaveric studies, biomechanical studies, and study protocols; (2) incomplete data; and (3) repeated studies and data. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used to evaluate the quality of nonrandomized studies. Constant score, visual analog scale (VAS) score, operation time, coracoclavicular distance (CCD), and complications were recorded and the mean differences of VAS and Constant were compared with preset minimal clinically important difference.

RESULTS

Fourteen studies with 363 patients treated with SB procedures and 432 patients with the HP procedure were included. In terms of patient-reported outcomes, 5 of the 13 included studies reported significantly greater Constant score in SB group and most (4/5) used arthroscopic SB technique. Statistically significant differences in favor of SB were found in 3 of the 7 included studies in terms of VAS score whereas none of them reached the minimal clinically important difference. In terms of recurrent instability, no statistically significant difference was noted. All studies showed that the SB technique resulted in lower estimated blood loss. No difference was detected in CCD and complications.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on the current body of evidence, it is suggested that employment of the SB technique may confer advantageous outcomes when compared to the HP technique in acute ACD patients. These potential benefits may include higher Constant scores, lower pain levels, and no discernible increases in operation time, CCD, or complication rates.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level IV, systematic review of Level II-IV studies.

Clinical outcomes for grades III-V acromioclavicular dislocations favor double-button fixation compared to clavicle hook plate fixation: a systematic review and meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this study was to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of both randomized controlled and observational studies comparing double-button suture fixation to hook plate fixation for types III-IV acromioclavicular joint dislocation.

METHODS

Systematic review of Medline, Embase, Scopus, and Google Scholar, including all levels 1-3 studies from 2000 to 2022. Clinical outcome scores, range of motion, and complications were included. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration's ROB2 tool and ROBINs-I tool. MINORS and modified Coleman Methodology Score (CMS) were used to assess within study quality. The GRADE system was used to assess the overall quality of the body of evidence. Heterogeneity was assessed using χ2 and I2 statistics.

RESULTS

Fifteen studies were included. Three of the four included LOE II and eleven of the LOE III studies had a high risk of bias. Study quality was considered poor and fair for 67% by MINORS criteria and 93% for CMS criteria. The pooled estimate (SMD 0.662) for all clinical outcomes was statistically significant and in favor of button repair (p = 0.0001). The pooled estimate (SMD 0.662) for all VAS pain scores was statistically significant, again in favor of button repair (p = 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this meta-analysis demonstrated significantly better outcomes of button repair for acute ACJ dislocations when compared to clavicle hook plate. Button repair is also associated with a 2.2 times lower risk for complications. However, risk of bias is high, and study quality within and between studies was low. These results, therefore, must be viewed with caution.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level III; systematic review and meta-analysis.

Comparison of Effectiveness and Safety in Treating Acute Acromioclavicular Joint Dislocation with Five Different Surgical Procedures: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis

This network meta-analysis aims to evaluate the comparative effectiveness and safety of suture anchors (SA), tendon grafts (TG), hook plates (HP), Tight-Rope (TR), and EndoButton (EB) in the treatment of acute acromioclavicular joint (ACJ) dislocation. The Embase, PubMed, and Web of Science databases were searched from their inception date to June 3, 2022. Studies included all eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and cohort studies with the comparison of five different fixation systems among SA, TG, HP, TR, and EB were identified. All studies were reviewed, performed data extraction, and assessed the risk of bias independently by two reviewers. The primary outcomes are Constant-Murley score (CMS) improvement for assessing clinical efficacy, and complications. The second outcomes are visual analog scale (VAS) for assessing pain relief and the coracoclavicular distance (CCD) for assessing postoperative joint reduction. Version 2 of the revised Cochrane risk of bias tool for randomized trials (RoB 2) and the risk of bias in nonrandomized studies of interventions (ROBINS-I) were used to assess the RCTs and non-randomized trials, respectively. The continuous outcomes were presented as mean differences (MD), and risk ratios (OR) were used for dichotomous outcomes, both with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Surface under the cumulative ranking curves (SUCRA) results were calculated to offer a ranking of each intervention. We identified 31 eligible trials, including 1687 patients in total. HP showed less CMS improvement than TR and EB in both the Network Meta-analysis (NMA) and pairwise meta-analysis. HP also showed less CMS improvement than SA in NMA. For pain relief, HP performed worse than TR both in pairwise meta-analysis and NMA. No significant differences were found for the measured value of CCD. Both TR and EB showed a lower incidence of complications than HP in pairwise meta-analysis. The rank of SUCRA for CMS improvement was as follows: SA, TR, EB, TG, and HP; for pain relief: TR, EB, TG, SA, and HP; for CCD: HP, TR, SA, EB, and TG. For complications, HP showed the highest rank, followed by TG, EB, TR, and SA. SA shows better clinical effectiveness and reliable safety in the treatment of acute ACJ dislocation. Although HP is the most widely used surgical option currently, it should be carefully taken into consideration for its high incidence of complications.

Surgical management of acute, high-grade acromioclavicular joint separations: a systematic review

Background

While a number of treatment options exist for repair of acute, high-grade acromioclavicular joint (ACJ) separation, none have emerged as the standard of care. The purpose of this study was to systematically review the literature on surgical treatment of acute, high-grade (Rockwood grades III-V) ACJ separations in order to compare outcomes between direct fixation and tendon graft ligament reconstruction.

Methods

A systematic review of the literature evaluating outcomes for acute ACJ separation treatment with direct fixation or free biologic tendon graft reconstruction was performed. The following databases were examined: the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PubMed (1980-2021), and Embase (1980-2021). Studies were included if they reported a mean time to surgery as <6 weeks, contained >10 patients with a minimum 1-year follow-up, and reported clinical or radiographic outcomes.

Results

A total of 52 studies met the inclusion criteria. Seven studies reported outcomes following tendon graft ligament reconstruction (n = 128 patients). There were multiple methods of direct fixation. Thirty-three studies utilized suture button constructs (n = 1138), 16 studies used hook plates (n = 567), 2 studies used coracoclavicular screws (n = 94), 2 studies used suture fixation (n = 93), 2 studies used suture anchor (n = 55), 2 studies used suture cerclage fixation (n = 87), 1 used single multistrand titanium cable (n = 24), and 1 used K wire (n = 11). The mean follow-up Constant scores ranged from 77.5 to 97.1 in the fixation group compared to 90.3-96.6 in the tendon graft group. The mean visual analog scale scores ranged from 0 to 4.5 in the fixation group and 0.1-1 in the tendon graft group. Net CC distance ranged from 17.5 to 3.6 mm in the fixation group and 7.4-4 mm in the tendon graft group. The revision rates ranged from 0.0% to 18.18% in the direct fixation group and 5.88%-17% in the tendon graft group.

Conclusion

Direct fixation and tendon graft reconstruction for management of acute, high-grade ACJ separations have similar patient subjective and radiographic outcomes, as well as complication and revision rates at a minimum 1-year follow-up.

Acromioclavicular joint suture button repair leads to coracoclavicular tunnel widening

PURPOSE

Biomechanical evaluation of three different suture button devices used in acromioclavicular joint repair and analysis of their effect on post-testing tunnel widening.

METHODS

Eighteen human shoulder girdles were assigned into three groups with a similar mean bone mineral density. Three different single-tunnel acromioclavicular repair devices were tested: (1) AC TightRope^® with FiberWire; (2) AC Dog Bone^™ Button with FiberTape; (3) Low Profile AC Repair System. Biomechanical testing was performed simulating the complex movement of the distal clavicle as follows. A vertical load of 80 N was applied continuously. The rotation of the clavicle about its long axis was set at 10° anterior and 30° posterior for 2500 cycles at 0.25 Hz. The horizontal translation of the clavicle was set at 6 mm medial and 6 mm lateral for 10,000 cycles at 1 Hz. The coracoclavicular distance was measured before and after testing. After testing, each sample underwent micro-CT analysis. Following 3D reconstruction, the area of the bone tunnels was measured at five defined cross sections.

RESULTS

In TightRope^® and Dog Bone^™ groups, all samples completed testing, whereas in the Low Profile group, three out of six samples showed system failure. The mean absolute difference of coracoclavicular distance after testing was significantly greater in the Low Profile group compared to TightRope^® and Dog Bone^™ groups (4.3 ± 1.3 mm vs 1.9 ± 0.7 mm vs 1.9 ± 0.8 mm; p = 0.001). Micro-CT analysis of the specimens demonstrated significant tunnel widening in the inferior clavicular and superior coracoid regions in all three groups (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Significant tunnel widening can be observed for all devices and is primarily found in the inferior parts of the clavicle and superior parts of the coracoid. The Low Profile AC Repair System showed inferior biomechanical properties compared to the AC TightRope^® and AC Dog Bone^™ devices. Therefore, clinicians should carefully select the type of acromioclavicular repair device used and need to consider tunnel widening as a complication.

The correlation between acromial osteolysis and acromion types in the treatment of acromioclavicular joint dislocation with hook plate

This study aimed to radiologically evaluate the effect of hook plates used in the treatment of acromioclavicular joint (ACJ) dislocations on the development of subacromial osteolysis (SAO) according to acromion types. A total of 43 patients with mean age of 38.5 (19-77) years who were diagnosed with AC dislocation and applied neutral clavicular hook plate between 2013 and 2020 were retrospectively evaluated. Acromion types were determined by measuring acromion slope angle on lateral shoulder radiography and 3-dimensional (D)-CT of the patients. Presence of SAO was classified according to the severity of erosion in the subacromial region (grade I: minimal osteolysis, grade II: subacromial erosion <2 mm, grade III: subacromial erosion >2 mm, grade IV: cut-through of the acromion) on postoperative 3D - CT and correlation with acromion types was analyzed. Incidence of SAO was significantly higher among type 1 acromion compared to type 2 and type 3 acromion (P = .003). While osteolysis was observed in 21 patients, no osteolysis was observed in 22 patients. Osteolysis occurred in all patients with type 1 acromion, 7 patients with type 2 acromion, and 5 patients with type 3 acromion. Since the hook tip in the sagittal plane passes posterior to the center of the acromion and the concavity of the subacromial surface is inadequate in the type 1 acromion, we believe that the increased pressure applied by the hook tip on the subacromial cartilage increases the risk of SAO. We predict that the use of hook plates with an angle of 15-20 degrees, similar to the patient's AC angle, rather than neutral hook plate, will reduce the risk of osteolysis in patients with type 1 acromion.