Modified arthroscopic-assisted reduction and internal fixation for treatment of Ideberg type III scapular glenoid fracture associated with acromioclavicular joint injury.

Objective: Ideberg type III scapular glenoid fracture associated with acromioclavicular joint injury is rare, as well as its therapeutic experience. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of modified arthroscopic-assisted treatment, and introduce our experience and surgical techniques.

Method: We retrospectively reviewed 11 patients with Ideberg type III scapular glenoid fracture associated with acromioclavicular joint injury. 6 males and 5 females were included with a mean of age 52.6 years. After the acromioclavicular joint was treated with clavicular hook plate, Ideberg type III scapular glenoid fracture experienced modified arthroscopic-assisted reduction and fixation, in which the 1:00 o'clock position of the glenoid was utilized as the starting point for screws to fix in multiple directions.

Results: The cases were followed up for 12-35 months, with an average of 18 months. The mean healing time of fracture was 3.4 months. The postoperative range of motion of the shoulders was well maintained. There were no complications of shoulder stiffness and muscle atrophy in the cases. The mean Constant score, UCLA score and ASES score were 95.1 points (range, 88-100 points), 34 points (range, 32-35 points) and 95.8 points (range, 90-100 points) respectively. The average VAS pain score was 0.4.

Conclusions: For patients with Ideberg type III scapular glenoid fracture associated with acromioclavicular joint injury, the modified arthroscopic-assisted reduction and internal fixation is a minimally invasive and effective treatment. The 1:00 o'clock position of the glenoid could be utilized as a safe starting point for screws to fix in multiple directions.