Treatment of Acute Acromioclavicular Dislocation: Suspensory Button Versus Double Tunnel Suture Loop. A Comparison of Clinical Outcome and Complication Rate in 63 Patients Treated with Two Different Techniques

BACKGROUND: Acromioclavicular (AC) joint dislocation is a frequent shoulder injury. Dozens of surgical techniques have been described but nowadays there is no evidence supporting a specific technique as the gold standard for acute AC joint injury. The aim of the present study was to investigate the difference between suspensory button and double tunnel suture loop techniques in terms of the quality of the acromioclavicular joint reconstruction by comparing functional assessment, clinical scores, and postoperative complication rate.METHODS: We performed a retrospective comparative analysis of 63 patients treated for acute isolated AC dislocation: 36 treated with suspensory button technique, 27 treated with double tunnel suture loop technique. Surgical time of both procedures was collected and examined. Constant-Murley and DASH scores at 1-year follow-up were compared. The complications such as clavicular fracture, nerve damage, infection and recurrence of dislocation were recorded and analyzed. AC joint displacement ratio was measured on 1-year X-ray considering values greater of 0.5 as recurrence of dislocation.RESULTS: The statistical analysis did not show any statistical difference of surgical time, Constant-Murley score, DASH score and the complication rate between the two surgical techniques.CONCLUSIONS: Both techniques ensure a strong and reliable Acromioclavicular repair with satisfactory functional and clinical assessments, so surgical technique choice should be guided by the habit of the surgeon.