BASIC OF AC JOINT: IT is a prominent joint which is visibly seen and made up of urn collar bone (clavicle) and acromion a part of the scapula the shoulder blade bone, it’s a prominence in front of the shoulder when you trace urn collar bone.
What is AC joint separation or shoulder separation.
It is a very frequent injury among athletes , physically active individuals , in this the collar bone (clavicle) separates form the scapula (shoulder blade), cause is due to a fall, a direct impact injury mainly seen in cyclist, runners, football players or contact sports.
There are different types of AC joint separations:
Grade 1 AC joint Separation: Grade 1 is a mild form of displacement, this is where AC ligament may become partially torn or merely stretched, usually the symptoms are mild pain, tenderness on touch and some difficulty and pain when moving the shoulder, Grade 1 AC joint separation treatment is usually conservative , includes physical therapy along with use guided injections of super concentrated prep into the ligaments, it maintains the integrity of the ligament.
Grade 2 AC joint separation: In this there is partial joint dislocation with the acromioclavicular ligament being torn completely, though the coracoclavicular ligament is still intact, in this the patient may experience moderate to severe pains around the shoulder, some visible swelling and also the movement of clavicle is more pronounced as the ligament which supports the clavicle acromial joint is torn, Grade 2 AC joint separation treatment is again focused on minimally invasive interventions including using your own concentrated cell therapy with high concentrated PRP, these regenerative medicine protocols and orthobiologics help in preventing further damage, maintains the integrity and with a good physical therapy protocol over time most of the function is restored and pain is completely under control.
Grade 3 AC joint separation: in this there is complete tear of both the ligaments supporting the AC joint, the acromioclavicular and coracoclavicular are both torn, there is instability and also a visible bump on the shoulder, patients present with severe pain, popping sound, a visible deformity is appreciated in the shoulder region, the person needs support his arm by the elbow and will need a sling to avoid more movement.
The treatment of grade 3 AC joint separation is usually surgery, but with growing evidence pouring in a meta-analysis, researchers found out that a fusion surgery for high grade separation does not make any major significant difference in comparison to the group of other patients which same issues who were not offered any surgery, the group who dihttps://journals.lww.com/jorthotrauma/Abstract/2018/01000/Operative_Versus_Nonoperative_Management_of_Acute.2.aspxd not undergo surgery returned to work faster and had fewer complications too in the long run
So a good approach for treatment of AC joint separation is using a combination of interventions like PRP ( super concentrated platelets) cell therapy and physical therapy which yields better results and is more effective with less down time.