Background: Surgical treatment options for sternoclavicular joint luxations described in the literature are numerous, although all have limitations. Therefore, there is no favorable surgical treatment for sternoclavicular luxations when nonoperative treatment has failed.
Description of technique: We developed the polydioxanone (PDS) envelope plasty, a modification of the figure-of-eight technique, using a PDS ligament.
Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 39 patients (40 joints), treated with a PDS envelope plasty for invalidating sternoclavicular luxations. The minimum followup was 10 months (average, 52 months; range, 10-171 months). The Simple Shoulder Test (SST), Constant-Murley shoulder score, and subjective categorical results were recorded preoperatively and postoperatively.
Results: In most patients, postoperative functional shoulder scores were excellent (mean Constant-Murley score, 90, range, 52-100; mean SST, 10; range, 2-12). Ninety percent of patients had an improvement of shoulder function at followup. Only minor complications occurred. Thirteen percent of patients had spontaneous postoperative subluxations. However, the postoperative shoulder function improved in all these patients.
Conclusions: The PDS envelope plasty is a simple procedure, a modification of the best-reported technique. We have promising results with high shoulder scores.
Level of evidence: Level IV, therapeutic study. See Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.