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Official Journal of the Italian Society of Orthopaedics and Traumatology

Table 1 Management in the chronic setting versus management in the acute setting

From: Management of chronic unstable acromioclavicular joint injuries

Study

n

Type of treatment

Mean follow-up

Results

Weinstein et al. [6]

44

Modified Weaver–Dunn technique in 15/27 acute cases, and in 14/17 chronic cases. The rest of the repairs were performed by means of AC non-absorbable sutures

4 years (range 2–9)

Satisfactory results in 96% of acute cases and 76% of chronic cases. The differences were statistically significant in favor of acute cases

Rolf et al. [11]

49

29 patients using the modified Phemister technique versus a group of patients who underwent surgery after failure of conservative treatment (20 modified Weaver–Dunn)

53 months (range 20–92)

The results were significantly superior in the group of patients managed in the acute phase

von Heideken et al. [12]

37

22 patients treated in the acute phase versus 15 patients treated in the chronic phase. Hook plate in all cases

22 acute patients were re-evaluated at average of 38 months (range 15–96 months) after surgery, and 15 chronic patients were re-evaluated at an average of 36 months (range 18–62) after surgery

The results significantly favored both the clinical and radiological aspects, to the group of patients treated in the acute phase

Mignani et al. [13]

40

25 patients in the acute phase versus 15 patients in the chronic phase. In both groups the management consisted of AC and CC temporary fixations with K-wires

Unknown

Satisfactory results in 100% of patients in the acute group and 93% of patients in the chronic group. No statistically significant differences

Dumontier et al. [14]

56

32 patients in the acute phase versus 24 patients in the chronic phase. All patients were treated by means of CA ligament transposition

Acute group (mean follow-up 46 months) and chronic group (mean follow-up 51 months)

The results were satisfactory in 81% of patients treated in the acute phase and in 79% of patients treated in the chronic phase, with no significant differences