Acute Acromioclavicular Dislocations Treated with Kirschner wire and Polyester suture at B.P Koirala Institute of Health Sciences: A Retrospective Review of Records.

Abstract

Introduction: Acromioclavicular (AC) dislocations are relatively rare injuries often seen in athletes who are involved in high-impact sports. The aim of management is to restore the coracoclavicular interspace to maintain stability and prevent chronic pain. Many fixation methods have been described for managing these injuries. To the best of our knowledge, only a few studies have reported regarding the functional outcome of AC joint dislocation using bifocal fixation using K wire and Polyester suture. This study aimed to evaluate the functional outcome of AC joint dislocation managed using a bifocal fixation.

Method: This retrospective review of records was conducted between January 19th to January 30th, 2023 after obtaining clearance from the institutional ethics committee. All patients aged between 18-45 years with AC joint dislocations meeting the inclusion criteria were included in the study. The information was recorded in a data extraction form. The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Shoulder Rating Score was evaluated at 6 months follow-up.

Results: A total of 34 patients of which there were 30 male and 4 female patients included in this review of records. The average age was 37.69 ± 7.21 years, then the average time of surgery from injury was 2.34 ± 0.5 days and the average duration of surgery was 58.45 ± 5. 14 mins. The mean UCLA shoulder rating scale was 28.26 ± 4.1 for all patients at the final follow-up. Complications like hardware prominence, implant back out, and superficial skin infection were also recorded in the patients.

Conclusion: Bifocal fixation is an acceptable method of fixation for Grade III, IV and V acromioclavicular joint dislocations due to their good functional outcomes, mechanical stability and low cost.However more studies with increased sample size and better designed studies are required to assess their long term outcomes.