Conservative Management for Acromioclavicular Joint Injuries

Abstract

The degree of an injury to the AC joint will determine how it is treated. Depending on the nature of the injury, acromioclavicular joint (ACJ) injuries are managed differently. For type I and type II AC separations, non-operative treatment is advised; however, for type III, this is still up for debate because of the increased risk of early-onset degenerative joint disease. Rockwood type IV injuries cause the clavicle to shift posteriorly, type V injuries cause the clavicle to shift superiorly by more than 100%, and type VI injuries cause the clavicle to shift inferiorly and become stuck behind the conjoined tendon. Studies have shown that non-operative care of injury categories IV, V, and VI can yield positive results, notwithstanding the advocacy of certain surgeons for surgical management.

A single RCT and various cohort studies have shown that conservative treatment for acromioclavicular (AC) joint injuries had variable degrees of success rate depending on the severity of the damage. On comparison of outcomes between non-operative and surgical treatment found in various studies, conservative treatment of AC joint injuries is beneficial. A detailed understanding of the AC joint anatomy is very important for developing injury rehabilitation Physiotherapy plans. This further aids in the early return to the function.