Acromioclavicular (AC) joint injuries account for a significant number of injuries in contact athletes. AC joint injuries are classified by the Rockwood grade with grade I and II treated non-operatively and grades IV, V and VI treated operatively. The ideal management of grade III injuries remains controversial with many surgeons performing surgeons performing surgery acutely in high-level athletes and manual laborers.
The original Weaver-Dunn method of AC joint reconstruction has been modified over the past 4 decades, most recently with anatomic coracoclavicular ligament reconstruction with soft-tissue grafts, which have shown superiority on biomechanical testing. Bone tunnels through the clavicle are commonly used to reconstruct the coraoclavicular ligaments; however, they have been associated with a significant decrease in clavicle strength with a subsequent increase in the risk for postoperative fracture. The surgical technique presented in the report illustrates an arthroscopically assisted method of anatomic coracoclavicular ligament reconstruction using a soft-tissue allograft that eliminates the need for large bone tunnels in the clavicle.
