Fast track your treatment
To book an appointment or speak with one of our friendly team, please get in touch using the options below
Joints connect your bones to one another, providing your body with support and the ability to move. Problems in a joint, whether caused by injury or disease, can affect your movement and lead to pain.
AC joint injury is a common problem and this page gives an overview of symptoms, causes and surgical repair options available, but it is always advisable to seek the advice of a medical professional for serious problems or if you have concerns. If you would appreciate assessment, diagnosis and advice on any potential surgical treatment for your AC joint injury, please contact us to book your appointment with an orthopaedic Consultant at a hospital near to you, at a time that is convenient for you.
If you have injured your AC joint, you will have pain near the top of your shoulder. You may also be able to feel a bump on the top of your shoulder, caused by the clavicle pushing upwards more than normal as a result of the injury. You may be aware of the muscles in your neck and shoulder contracting more than normal, due to the loss of stability in the shoulder.
Damage to your AC joint can vary in degree and severity, depending on the extent of the damage to the joint and the surrounding structures. At the lower end of the scale, you may have stretched or torn some of the ligaments in your shoulder, while on the upper end of the scale, you may have completely dislocated the clavicle from the acromion and torn (ruptured) the ligaments. This more severe type of injury will be the one that is more likely to need surgery to repair.
However, many people find they are able to successfully manage treatment for a damaged AC joint injury using purely non-surgical methods, and improvement would be expected within 2-3 months. These treatments may include:
Your Consultant will talk you through the surgical procedure, clearly explaining how it is done, any complications or implications of the surgery that you may need to be aware of and the expected recovery time from the surgery. As always, if you have any questions at any time, you will be able to talk through them with your Consultant thoroughly.
Contact us today to arrange an appointment with an orthopaedic Consultant at your nearest hospital, at a time convenient to you, so that we can help get your AC joint repair surgery carried out promptly.