Treatment of Chronic Acromioclavicular Joint Dislocation in a Paraplegic Patient with the Weaver-Dunn Procedure and a Hook-Plate

In case of patients with spinal cord injury and concomitant acromioclavicular (AC) joint-dislocation the treatment is challenging, as in this special patient group the function of the shoulder joint is critical because patients depend on the upper limb for mobilization and wheelchair-locomotion. Therefore the goal of this study was to examine, if the treatment of chronic AC-joint dislocation using the Weaver-Dunn procedure augmented with a hook-plate in patients with a spinal cord injury makes early postoperative wheelchair mobilization and the wheelchair transfer with full weight-bearing possible. In this case the Weaver-Dunn procedure with an additive hook-plate was performed in a 34-year-old male patient with a complete paraplegia and a posttraumatic chronic AC-joint dislocation. The patient was allowed to perform his wheelchair transfers with full weight bearing on the first post-operative day. The removal of the hook-plate was performed four months after implantation. At the time of follow-up the patient could use his operated shoulder with full range of motion without restrictions in his activities of daily living or his wheel-chair transfers.