Surgical treatment of complete acromioclavicular dislocation using the coracoacromial ligament and coracoclavicular fixation: report of a technique in 14 patients.

Fourteen cases of a complete dislocation of the acromioclavicular joint were treated using a modified technique of surgical repair involving the transfer of the coracoacromial ligament to reconstruct the coracoclavicular ligaments and coracoclavicular fixation with a screw. In addition, the lateral 2 cm of the clavicle was removed and the coracoacromial ligament attached to the raw surface. Eleven patients underwent surgery < 2 weeks after injury, whereas three underwent surgery 6 months after the initial episode. Follow-up of 2-4 years showed excellent results in 12 and good in two cases. It is our recommendation that coracoclavicular ligament reconstruction should be supplemented with clavicular fixation to the coracoid to ensure acromioclavicular alignment.