Comparative study of arthroscopically assisted Tight-Rope technique and clavicular hook plate fixation treatment in acute high grade acromioclavicular joint separations
Abstract Background: Has the arthroscopically assisted reduction of acute acromioclavicular (AC) joint separations with the tight-rope technique advantages over the clavicular hook plate fixation.Methods: A total of 518 patients with acute high grade AC joint dislocation received ligament reconstruction surgery between February 2015 and June 2017 were included in this study. Of these patients, 28 patients were treated with arthroscopic assisted fixation using Tight-Rope system. In order to compare the treatment results between Tight-Rope technique and clavicular hook plate fixation, each Tight-Rope technique group patients was matched with 3 controls that underwent clavicular hook plate fixation at the same period according to gender, age and diagnosis. Furthermore, the demographics and clinical characteristics were compared between the two groups.Results: All patients had clinical and radiological results available at 2 year or greater, they was statistically significant improvement in the constant score and VAS score at the end of follow up respectively (P < 0.001). Compared with clavicular hook plate group, patients treated with arthroscopic assisted fixation using Tight-Rope system were incurred significant statistically lower skin incision, hospitalization time and estimated blood loss (p <0.001), and the constant score and VAS score at the end of follow up was significant higher in Tight-Rope group (p <0.001).Conclusions: The Tight-Rope technique is advantageous for treating these patients because it is minimally invasive procedure with low complications and superior clinical outcomes.Authors’ Contribution:The first and second author (Hong-bo Li and Si Nie) contributed equally to this study and share the first authorship.