The Results of Hook Plate Fixation in Acute Acromioclavicular Joint Dislocation and Distal Clavicle Fractures

Background Acromioclavicular joint (ACJ) dislocation and distal clavicle fractures are common shoulder injuries. Different methods of fixation are used to treat such injuries, each has its advantages and disadvantages. In this study, we tested fixation using the hook plate. We think that it is technically simple, reliable and more effective in certain surgical situations. However, it is not gaining adequate popularity due to the potential complications of the plate placement including subacromial osteolysis, impingement, rotator cuff injury and others. A second surgery for plate removal is classically indicated to cope with such complications. Objective The aim of this study included evaluating the clinical and radiological healing after hook plate fixation in ACJ dislocation and distal clavicle fractures and assessing the incidence and clinical significance of subacromial osteolysis. Methods It is a prospective observational study with a total of 96 cases including 64 ACJ dislocations and 32 distal clavicle fractures. Constant-Murley score was used for clinical evaluation. The patients were evaluated regularly with a minimum follow up of 12 months after plate removal. Results At the end of the study we found that the results of the hook plate fixation for both groups were good clinically and radiologically. The clinical result score was found to be initially higher among the patients of the ACJ dislocation mainly due to the earlier plate removal in these patients. However, the final score was found to be comparable in both groups. The incidence of the subacromial osteolysis was found to be higher among the patients with clavicle fractures as the plate was retained for a longer time. However we found that subacromial osteolysis did not imply any increased rate of symptoms over the patients who did not show this complication on the X-ray. Conclusion Based on these observations, we recommend the hook plate fixation to be added to the armamentarium of the orthopaedic surgeon treating such injuries as it is simple to implement, durable and capable of dealing with difficult situations. The main disadvantage of this method is the need for a second surgery for plate removal.