eMedicine Specialties > Orthopedic Surgery > Shoulder

Acromioclavicular Joint Separations: Follow-up

Author: David Prybyla, MD, Staff Physician, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of Massachusetts Medical School
Coauthor(s): Brett D Owens, MD, Chief, Sports Medicine and Shoulder Service, William Beaumont Army Medical Center; Thomas P Goss, MD, Chief of Shoulder Surgery, Professor, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of Massachusetts Memorial Health Care
Contributor Information and Disclosures

Updated: Sep 22, 2009

Outcome and Prognosis

For type I injuries, the prognosis following nonoperative care is excellent. Some studies have shown mild symptoms occurring in approximately 30% of heavy laborers, but significant symptoms are much less common.35,36 Most long-term studies have shown good-to-excellent outcomes following type II injuries managed nonoperatively as well. A small portion of this population will, however, report symptomatic AC degenerative disease that necessitates surgery.

Literature regarding long-term follow-up after surgical repair of type III injuries is scarce, and those treated nonoperatively generally do quite well.

Future and Controversies

Treatment for acute type III acromioclavicular injuries remains controversial (see Indications). Since those treated nonoperatively generally do quite well, surgical management should be offered acutely only to those who require high-level upper extremity function and late to those with significant shoulder pain and/or dysfunction refractory to nonoperative treatment. Given the proper choice of treatment, outcomes should be acceptable in more than 90% of patients.13

 


More on Acromioclavicular Joint Separations

Overview: Acromioclavicular Joint Separations
Workup: Acromioclavicular Joint Separations
Treatment: Acromioclavicular Joint Separations
Follow-up: Acromioclavicular Joint Separations
Multimedia: Acromioclavicular Joint Separations
References
Further Reading
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References

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Further Reading

Related eMedicine topics

Acromioclavicular Injury

Acromioclavicular Joint Injury

Clinical guidelines

ACR Appropriateness Criteria® shoulder trauma. American College of Radiology - Medical Specialty Society. 1995 (revised 2005). 6 pages. NGC:004632

Shoulder complaints. American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine - Medical Specialty Society.  1997 (revised 2004). 31 pages. NGC:004752

Clinical trials

Non-operative Versus Operative Treatment of Acute Acromioclavicular Joint Dislocation

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Keywords

acromioclavicular joint separation, AC separations, shoulder separation, acromioclavicular joint dislocation, AC dislocation, dislocated shoulder, shoulder pain

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Contributor Information and Disclosures

Author

David Prybyla, MD, Staff Physician, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of Massachusetts Medical School
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Coauthor(s)

Brett D Owens, MD, Chief, Sports Medicine and Shoulder Service, William Beaumont Army Medical Center
Brett D Owens, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, and Society of Military Orthopaedic Surgeons
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Thomas P Goss, MD, Chief of Shoulder Surgery, Professor, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of Massachusetts Memorial Health Care
Thomas P Goss, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, American Orthopaedic Association, Massachusetts Medical Society, and Orthopaedic Trauma Association
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Medical Editor

Lynn A Crosby, MD, FACS, Chief of Shoulder Division, Professor, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Wright State University School of Medicine
Lynn A Crosby, MD, FACS is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, American College of Sports Medicine, American College of Surgeons, American Fracture Association, American Medical Association, American Medical Tennis Association, American Orthopaedic Association, American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society, Arthroscopy Association of North America, Mid-America Orthopaedic Association, and Orthopaedic Research Society
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Pharmacy Editor

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD, Senior Pharmacy Editor, eMedicine
Disclosure: eMedicine Salary Employment

Managing Editor

Pekka A Mooar, MD, Professor, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Temple University School of Medicine
Pekka A Mooar, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

CME Editor

Dinesh Patel, MD, FACS, Associate Clinical Professor of Orthopedic Surgery, Harvard Medical School; Chief of Arthroscopic Surgery, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital
Dinesh Patel, MD, FACS is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin, American College of International Physicians, and American College of Surgeons
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Mary Ann E Keenan, MD, Professor, Vice Chair for Graduate Medical Education, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine; Chief of Neuro-Orthopedics Program, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
Mary Ann E Keenan, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, American Orthopaedic Association, American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society, American Society for Surgery of the Hand, and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation Association
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

 
 
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