ACROMIOCLAVICULAR JOINT DISLOCATION
It is the joint formed between the clavicle and the acromion. The lesions of the acromioclavicular joint occur after falling on the shoulder and can result injury with ligament complete rupture, when the dislocation of the acromioclavicular joint occur.
Clinical examination
Clinically the palpation produce intense tenderness and pain at the site of injury in the shoulder combined by deformation of the outer edge of the clavicle is displaced upward. Also observed painful limitation of motion of the shoulder.
The acromioclavicular joint dislocation - complete ligament rupture. The arrow shows the pathological diastasis between the clavicle and the acromion
Acromioclavicular joint dislocation right after fall of person on the ground with outstretched right upper end
Radiological examination
The radiological examination is the first choice in the investigation of the joint pathology after injury.
Radiographs of the right shoulder of two different persons. The clavicle is shifted upward due to injury of the ligaments.
Many times complementary, CT scan of the affected area gives more information in relation to the dislocation and surrounding anatomical bone structures.
CT scan of the right shoulder highlighted clearly the upward displacement of the key relative to the acromion (arrow)
Computed tomography with three dimensional reconstruction (3D reconstruction) shows the complete three-dimensional image of the shoulder to fully understand the details of the injury.
CT-scan with 3D reconstruction.