Acromioclavicular joint dislocation and concomitant labral lesions: a systematic review

Abstract

Acromioclavicular (AC) joint dislocations frequently co-occur with intra-articular glenohumeral pathologies. Few comprehensive studies have focused on labral tears specifically associated with AC joint trauma. This systematic review will address this gap. A comprehensive electronic search was conducted across PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar (pages 1–20) spanning from 1976 to May 19, 2023. Seven studies met the inclusion criteria for this systematic review, consisting of three retrospective studies and four case series. These studies collectively involved 1,044 patients, of whom 282 had concomitant labral lesions. The pooled prevalence of intra-articular labral injuries associated with acute AC joint dislocation was 27%. The prevalence of these labral lesions varied significantly between studies, ranging from 13.9% to 84.0% of patients, depending on the study and the grade of AC joint dislocation. Various types of labral tears were reported, with superior labrum anterior to posterior (SLAP) lesions being the most common. The prevalence of SLAP lesions ranged from 7.2% to 77.4%, with higher grades of AC joint dislocations often associated with a higher prevalence of SLAP tears. Moreover, grade V dislocations exhibited a complete correlation with SLAP tears. The studies yielded contradictory findings regarding older age and higher grades of AC joint dislocation as risk factors for concurrent labral lesions. This review underscores the frequent association between labral lesions and AC joint dislocations, particularly in cases of lower-grade injuries. Notably, SLAP lesions emerged as the predominant type of labral tear.

Keywords

• acromioclavicular joint dislocation
• superior labrum anterior to posterior
• labral tear
• labrum