The results of resection of the medial end of the clavicle to treat a painful sternoclavicular joint in 15 patients were retrospectively reviewed. The patients fell into 2 groups: 8 patients who had had a primary arthroplasty of the sternoclavicular joint in which the costoclavicular ligament was left intact (group I), and 7 patients who had had revision of a failed arthroplasty of the sternoclavicular joint and in whom the costoclavicular ligament had to be reconstructed (group II). The results for these 2 groups were compared at an average of 7.7 years postoperatively. All 8 patients in group I had an excellent result. In sharp contrast, 3 patients in group II had an excellent result, 3 had a fair result, and one had a poor result. We conclude that preservation or reconstruction of the costoclavicular ligament is essential at the time of resection of the medial portion of the clavicle in order to obtain a satisfactory result.
Copyright remains with the authors and publisher.
The results of resection of the medial end of the clavicle to treat a painful sternoclavicular joint in 15 patients were retrospectively reviewed. The patients fell into 2 groups: 8 patients who had had a primary arthroplasty of the sternoclavicular joint in which the costoclavicular ligament was left intact (group I), and 7 patients who had had revision of a failed arthroplasty of the sternoclavicular joint and in whom the costoclavicular ligament had to be reconstructed (group II). The results for these 2 groups were compared at an average of 7.7 years postoperatively. All 8 patients in group I had an excellent result. In sharp contrast, 3 patients in group II had an excellent result, 3 had a fair result, and one had a poor result. We conclude that preservation or reconstruction of the costoclavicular ligament is essential at the time of resection of the medial portion of the clavicle in order to obtain a satisfactory result.
Copyright remains with the authors and publisher.