Sternoclavicular (SC) joint injuries are uncommon, limiting comprehensive insights into their clinical management. This study analyzes long-term outcomes, preferred diagnostic and therapeutic modalities, and variations in treatment approaches and subsequent results. A retrospective cohort analysis was conducted on traumatic SC joint injuries treated at a Level-1 Trauma Center between January 2004 and October 2016. Chronic, degenerative, tumor-related cases, incomplete records, and incorrectly coded ICD-10 diagnoses were excluded. Ethical approval was obtained. Patient data on demographics, injury details, diagnostics, and therapeutic interventions were collected. Functional outcomes were assessed using ASES and QuickDASH scores. Seventeen SC joint injuries were included (14 Allmann type III and 3 Allmann types I-II). Functional outcome data were available for 13 patients (76% response rate) with a mean follow-up of 6.5 ± 4.4 years. Non-surgical approaches were effective for Allmann type I-II injuries. Anterior dislocations yielded good functional outcomes with both conservative and surgical treatment. Posterior dislocations were successfully managed with closed reduction or surgery, resulting in favorable long-term function. This study, one of the largest long-term follow-ups of SC joint injuries, confirms the rarity of these injuries but demonstrates promising functional outcomes with timely diagnosis and appropriate management.
Lenz et al. (2025) studied this question.