A Retrospective Study of Functional Outcomes in Rockwood Type III and V Acromioclavicular Joint Dislocations Managed with Double Endobutton Technique

Introduction: Acromioclavicular (AC) joint injuries are frequently encountered in orthopedic practice and makeup about 12% of shoulder injuries. Endobutton technique has shown promising results for Rockwood type III AC injuries, but literature is still scarce from Indian Subcontinent. This study aimed to find functional outcomes in Rockwood type III and V AC joint dislocations managed with double endobutton technique. Materials and Methods: The present retrospective study included thirteen patients with acute AC joint dislocation with duration of <7 days. In 10 cases (76.92%), the Rockwood grade was grade III, and in 3 (23.08%) cases, was grade V. All patients had significant instability and were operated using double endobutton technique. The functional outcomes of the patients were evaluated through Constant Murley score (CMS), simple shoulder test, American Shoulder and Elbow surgeons (ASES) score, AC joint instability (ACJI) score, and TAFT score, noted at baseline and at 1-year follow-up. Results: Compared to pre-operative scores, at post-operative follow-up of 1 year, there were significant improvements in the CMS (96.31 ± 2.81 vs. 30.77 ± 4.28, P < 0.0001), simple shoulder test (96.81 ± 4.2 vs. 19.23 ± 7.9, P < 0.0001), ASES (98.92 ± 1.04 vs. 29.31 ± 3.25, P < 0.0001), ACJI (98.08 ± 2.53 vs. 41.38 ± 6.99, P < 0.0001), and TAFT score (11.62 ± 0.51 vs. 4.31 ± 0.95, P < 0.0001). There was no recurrence of instability, or any other complications noted at the end of 1 year. Conclusion: The double endobutton technique proved effective in treating acute type III and V AC joint dislocations, yielding good functional outcomes. Keywords: Acute acromioclavicular joint dislocation, coracoclavicular ligament, double endobutton, Rockwood classification, shoulder.