Primary and Revision Acromioclavicular Joint Reconstruction

Injury of the acromioclavicular (AC) joint can occur as the result of direct or indirect trauma. The treatment of these injuries has remained controversial. The first reported surgical procedure for internal fixation of AC dislocation was performed by Cooper in 1861 using silver wire to secure the AC joint. Since then, a wide variety of techniques have been used. In 1972, Weaver and Dunn described an open technique involving resection of the distal clavicle and reconstruction of the coracoclavicular (CC) ligament by transferring the acromial end of the coracoacromial ligament to the intramedullary shaft of the distal clavicle. More recent surgical modifications of these techniques have incorporated augmentation of the coracoclavicular reconstruction with heavy suture fixation, as well as tissue augmentation with tendon auto or allograft. This article describes our technique for acromioclavicular reconstruction using tendon allograft combined with suture augmentation.