PurposeAcromioclavicular (AC) joint dislocations are common in a young and active population, especially in people performing contact sports. Full recovery with a fast and high rate of return to sport is desirable. This systematic review aims to combine patient outcomes in order to help surgeons in addressing patient expectations regarding the return to sport after surgical intervention for AC dislocations.MethodsTo conduct this systematic review, the PRISMA guidelines were followed. Articles were included if written in English or Dutch and evaluated return to sport after any type of surgical intervention for Rockwood types III to VI AC dislocations in patients practicing sports. Outcome parameters were return to sport, time to return to sport, level of sport, functional outcome scores and complications.ResultsTwelve studies involving 498 patients were included, of which 462 patients practiced sports. 432 (94%) patients returned to sport. The weighted mean time to return to sport was 4.0 months. 338 out of 401 patients (84%) returned to the same level of pre-injury sport and 35 patients (9%) lowered their level of sport. The weighted mean Constant score was 92 out of 100.ConclusionThe rate of return to sport after surgical intervention for Rockwood (RW) III–VI AC dislocations is high. However, the level of evidence was low and due to the methodological heterogeneity between studies, subgroup analyses of return to sport outcomes were not feasible.Level of evidenceSystematic review of level I–IV studies, level IV.
Background: Rockwood I and II acromioclavicular joint injuries are generally treated nonoperatively. The long-term outcome is considered to be good but has not yet been properly investigated. Purpose: To assess the long-term outcome after nonoperative therapy for Rockwood I and II acromioclavicular joint injuries regarding functional and radiologic outcome. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: Eligible patients visited the emergency department between January 2003 and December 2015 and were ≥16 years old at the time of presentation. The main study parameters were the Constant score, the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand score, and the Simple Shoulder Test. The Constant score was measured in the injured and contralateral shoulders. Radiologic outcomes in both shoulders included joint displacement, joint space, degenerative changes, osteolysis of the distal clavicle, and ossification of the ligaments. Results: A total of 75 patients were included for follow-up. After a median follow-up of 85 months (interquartile range [IQR], 68.0-100.0), the mean Constant score in the injured shoulder for the total sample was 88.6 (SD, 12.7) as compared with 93.3 (SD, 8.7) in the contralateral shoulder, with a significant difference of 4.7 points between shoulders. The median Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand score was 4.2 (IQR, 0.0-10.8), and the median Simple Shoulder Test was 100 (IQR, 91.7-100.0). The median patient satisfaction for the injured shoulder was 83 (IQR, 70.0-95.0). Regarding radiologic outcomes, for the injured shoulder versus the contralateral shoulder, patients had similar rates of degeneration (44% vs 46%) but more frequent osteolysis of the distal clavicle (31% vs 0%), ossification of the ligaments (29% vs 7%), and deformity of the distal clavicle (19% vs 0%). Conclusion: Despite the frequent occurrence of radiographic changes, long-term functional outcome after Rockwood I and II acromioclavicular joint injuries is good, with only clinically nonrelevant functional differences between the injured and contralateral shoulders.
Introduction Treatment of a patient with acromioclavicular joint (ACJ) injury remains challenging for orthopedic surgeons. To date, there is debate over the optimal management of ACJ injuries. This review provides an overview of assessment, treatment, and future perspectives for the treatment of and research into ACJ. Material and Methods A scoping literature review was performed. The search was built including the following terms: acromioclavicular joint injuries or dislocation, and pathophysiology, etiology, anatomy, treatment, and trauma mechanism. The papers with evidence levels 1–3 were included in the current narrative review. Results A total of 2242 potential relevant studies were identified in the searches. After removal of duplicates, 432 studies were screened on their titles and abstracts, resulting in 35 studies being included in the review, based on the eligibility criteria. Conclusion The management of acute and chronic ACJ injuries is not clarified in the current literature. However, there is currently insufficient high-level evidence for the overall treatment options for ACJ injuries. If surgical intervention is decided upon in consultation with the patient, the complications may not outweigh the benefits. The multitude of existing techniques is indicative of the uncertainty surrounding this issue, and no gold standard has yet been established for treatment methods. An ideal classification would include not only vertical and horizontal instability, but also the severity of kinematic alterations of the shoulder complex. This indicates the need for a new and improved diagnostic tool for the classification of ACJ injuries.
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