How to minimize complications in acromioclavicular joint and clavicle surgery.

Up to 50% of all athletic shoulder injuries are acromioclavicular joint separations. The ideal treatment for type III injuries remains controversial. Current reconstruction techniques include anatomic coracoclavicular reconstructions and newly developed arthroscopic techniques. Clavicle fractures have traditionally been treated nonsurgically based largely on early reports of surgical complications, but there has been a dramatic surge in the surgical treatment of clavicle fractures over the past 5 years because of recent reports of poorer outcomes with nonsurgical management.