A cadaveric anatomical study of the AC joint and its supporting ligaments using macroscopic micrometer measurement and histology. It characterizes the coracoclavicular and coracoacromial ligaments, the superior and inferior capsules, and the intraarticular disc. It aims to define ligament dimensions and the CA ligament's insertion and interconnections.
This paper reframes the coracoacromial ligament as a functional structure, not a disposable band. When you consider cutting the CA ligament during subacromial decompression, remember it reinforces the inferior AC capsule and serves as a soft tissue buffer between the rotator cuff and the acromion. Transecting it may remove that buffer, a real concern in a young athlete.
The coracoclavicular ligament, and specifically the trapezoid, is the key restraint against superior clavicular displacement. This anatomy underlies why CC ligament disruption defines higher-grade AC separations and why reconstruction targets these restraints.
The superior capsule reinforced by trapezius and deltoid aponeuroses is the main superior support, and its disruption is universal in Grade III dislocations. Finally, do not expect to find a well-formed AC disc at surgery. It is usually meniscoid or degenerate, so its absence is normal, not pathologic.
A cadaveric anatomical study of the AC joint and its supporting ligaments using macroscopic micrometer measurement and histology. It characterizes the coracoclavicular and coracoacromial ligaments, the superior and inferior capsules, and the intraarticular disc. It aims to define ligament dimensions and the CA ligament's insertion and interconnections.
This paper reframes the coracoacromial ligament as a functional structure, not a disposable band. When you consider cutting the CA ligament during subacromial decompression, remember it reinforces the inferior AC capsule and serves as a soft tissue buffer between the rotator cuff and the acromion. Transecting it may remove that buffer, a real concern in a young athlete.
The coracoclavicular ligament, and specifically the trapezoid, is the key restraint against superior clavicular displacement. This anatomy underlies why CC ligament disruption defines higher-grade AC separations and why reconstruction targets these restraints.
The superior capsule reinforced by trapezius and deltoid aponeuroses is the main superior support, and its disruption is universal in Grade III dislocations. Finally, do not expect to find a well-formed AC disc at surgery. It is usually meniscoid or degenerate, so its absence is normal, not pathologic.