Dr. Peter Millett recently contributed to Orthopedics This Week’s On and Off the Record regarding AC joint injuries. He tells OTW, “There is so much controversy now…‘Should an AC joint injury be fixed surgically or treated non-operatively? If it is fixed, do it arthroscopically or open? What is the best surgical method?’
Dr. Millett has been treating athletes with serious shoulder injuries for years; many of these athletes come into his office with shoulder separations and AC joint injuries suffered while on the Vail, CO ski slopes. The injury 
itself is also common enough that the everyday active individuals can also fall victim to the condition if experiencing a traumatic fall or serious injury.
According to Dr. Millett, who debated the topic at the Arthroscopy Association of North America Meeting, “I held the position that high grade AC joint injuries should be fixed and fixed arthroscopically. I think AC joints have historically been treated nonsurgically and many patients are frequently unhappy with that. If we have an effective, minimally invasive way of repairing them or reconstructing the joint, then patients would be likely to opt for that.”
During the meeting, Dr. Millett stated factual evidence and patient outcomes to support his theory.
This feature was posted on Orthopedics This Week by Elizabeth Hofheinz, Medical Editor. See full article, On (and Off) the Record.
