AC Joint Sprain – Treatment and Recovery

AC Joint Sprain – Treatment and Recovery is a valuable skill for therapists as AC Joint Sprains are one of the most common problems therapists see in the orthopedic clinic. Acromioclavicular joint (AC) sprains are common, usually resulting from a fall on the corner of the shoulder or, less often, an outstretched arm.4

Severity of AC Joint Sprain

The severity of the AC Joint Sprain is graded or typed according to which ligaments are involved and the degree of instability. If just the AC ligaments are sprained, it’s considered a type one; therefore, in this case, the joint is intact and is pretty stable. If the acromioclavicular and the coracoclavicular ligaments are involved or sprained, the joint can be said to be subluxed, and that is a type two sprain. Types three through six involve a complete rupture of the AC and the coracoclavicular ligaments, and the joint in this case is said to be dislocated or separated. There’s some debate on how to treat a type three sprain, whether non-surgical or surgical.  For evaluation and treatment techniques for AC Joint Sprains, go to Critical Analysis and Treatment Strategies for the Complex Shoulder.

AC Joint Sprain Grading and Diagnosis

• Type I
  • AC ligament sprain
  • Joint intact
• Type II
  • AC & Coracoclavicular ligament sprains
  • Joint subluxated
• Types III-VI
  • Rupture of AC & Coracoclavicular ligaments
  • Joint dislocated/“separated”

Learn More About AC Joint Sprain

Many ways to Learn

1. Critical Analysis and Treatment Strategies for the Complex Shoulder is a comprehensive online course. Learn to identify and create the optimal treatment method for the specific shoulder injury presented by your patients using the classification system. The classification system, presented in this course, has been clinically proven to produce clinical outcomes that are better than they would be if we were to try to chase pathologic anatomy.
2. Train your clinical team and host a live course with Chris Durall at your facility. Courses will be customized to meet your facility’s needs.
3. Combine online and live education for the ultimate learning experience.
4. Subscribe to the Healthclick online subscription for access to multiple orthopedic courses.

References

1. Daud, Muhammad Hafiz, et al. “Evaluation of functional and radiological outcome of arthroscopic-assisted anatomical coracoclavicular (CC) and acromioclavicular (AC) ligament reconstruction in chronic AC joint dislocation.” Journal of Biosciences and Medicines 12.3 (2024): 223-237.
2. Sciarretta FV, Moya D, List K. Current trends in rehabilitation of rotator cuff injuries. SICOT J. 2023;9:14. doi: 10.1051/sicotj/2023011. Epub 2023 May 23. PMID: 37222530; PMCID: PMC10208043.
3. Albishi W, AlShayhan F, Alfridy A, Alaseem A, Elmaraghy A. Acromioclavicular joint separation: Controversies and treatment algorithm. Orthop Rev (Pavia). 2024 Feb 22;16:94037. doi: 10.52965/001c.94037. PMID: 38404928; PMCID: PMC10891146.
4. Satone P, Ramteke SU, Jaiswal PR. Multimodal Exercises Adjunct to Virtual Reality in Acromioclavicular Joint Sprain Rehabilitation: A Case Report. Cureus. 2024 Aug 10;16(8):e66599. doi: 10.7759/cureus.66599. PMID: 39258074; PMCID: PMC11383641.