AcromioClavicular (ACJ) Joint Injuries

The AC joint is the joint between the collar-bone (clavicle) and the acromion (part of the shoulder blade). There is more information below, and we have translated this using AI. Please contact us if you have any comments or questions.

Do you have an AC Joint injury?

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How Does The AC Joint Get Injured?

Some injuries to the AC Joint result from a sudden trauma. Common mechanisms of this type of injury are falling onto your hand, or onto the outside tip of your shoulder. This can result in a sprain of the AC Joint, or a separation of the joint with disruption of the ligaments. If there ligaments have been ruptured in your accident, this will present by a bump over your AC Joint. To learn more about the different types of AC Joint injuries, check out our blog by clicking here

Other injuries to the AC Joint result from either old injuries to the joint, or weakness from the scapula muscles. The clavicle is the only bony that connects the shoulder blade to the body. Consequently, the shoulder relies on muscle stability around the shoulder blade to support the ACJ. If there are long periods of shoulder blade weakness, this can cause irritation of the AC Joint.

Common Presentations

Acute pain from the AC Joint usually presents with localised tenderness at the top of the shoulder. In some cases there is a bump on the top of the shoulder. This pain is usually superficial, like you can touch it on the surface. At other times the AC Joint can refer pain to different areas of the body. this can be up towards your neck, along the top of your shoulder blade, or down the back of your arm.

Your physio will help diagnose whether you have an AC Joint injury by asking you some questions about your pain, and what makes it better or worse. People with an AC Joint Injury commonly have increased pain when the arm is across in front of their body, or they have reached overhead at the end of their available range. Your physio will also carry out some clinical tests to diagnose whether your pain is originating from your AC Joint. These will include tests such as palpation, horizontal flexion / scarf test, Paxinos sign, or Piano key test.

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Faʻafefea ona manuʻa ai le AC Joint? (English / Samoan Translation)

O nisi o faʻalavelave i le AC Joint e mafua mai i se faʻalavelave faʻalavelave. O faʻalavelave masani e faʻatupu ai faʻalavelave o lea o le paʻu i lalo i lou lima, pe paʻu i le pito i fafo o lou tauau.

E mafai ona faʻatupu ai se faʻalavelave i le AC Joint, pe faʻalavelave i le hokotaki ma le faʻalavelave o le uoua. Afai e saeia le uoua i lou faʻalavelave, e mafai ona faʻaalia ai se puku i luga o lou AC Joint.

O isi faʻalavelave i le AC Joint e mafua mai i faʻalavelave tuai i le hokotaki, pe faʻalavelave mai i le ivi o le tauau. O le clavicle o le hui tatau e tasi e faʻatasi ai le papa tauau ma le tino.

 

O lea, e faʻatasi ai le tauau i le mautu o le uoua i fafo o le papa tauau e faʻatatau ai le ACJ. Afai e tele le taimi o le ivi o le papa tauau, e mafai ona faʻatupu ai se ita i le AC Joint.

Faʻaalia Masani

O le mamahi faʻalavelave mai le AC Joint e masani lava ona faʻaalia ma le faʻalavelave i luga o lou tauau. I nisi o taimi e iai se puku i luga o lou tauau. O lenei mamahi e masani lava e faʻalavelave i fafo, pei o e mafai ona faʻalavelave i luga.

I isi taimi e mafai ona faʻaalia ai le mamahi mai le AC Joint ki isi vaega o le tino. E mafai ona i luga i lou ua, i luga o le papa tauau, pe i tua o lou nima

 

O lou fisoio e fesoasoani e faʻamaonia pe o iai se faʻalavelave i lou AC Joint e ala i le fesili atu iā te oe ni fesili e uiga i lou mamahi, ma o le ā le mea e faʻaleleia pe faʻafefe ai.

O tagata e iai se faʻalavelave i le AC Joint e masani lava ona iai le mamahi tele ina o lou nima i fafo i lou tino, pe afai e oti lou nima i luga i le pito o lou fegasoloaʻiga.

O lou fisoio e fesoasoani foki e faʻatauina ni faʻataʻitaʻiga faʻafomaʻi e faʻamaonia pe o le mamahi e mai i lou AC Joint. E aofia ai faʻataʻitaʻiga pei o le faʻalavelave i fafo, faʻalavelave i luga / faʻataʻitaʻiga o le scarf, faʻailoga o Paxinos, pe faʻataʻitaʻiga o le piano key.

Fēfē hono ngāue ʻo e AC Joint ke maumauʻi? (English / Tongan Translation)

Ha ngaahi maumauʻi ki he AC Joint kuo hoko mai ʻi ha taimi ngāueʻaki ʻo ha faʻaʻiʻo.

Ko e ngaahi founga lahi ʻo e maumauʻi ko ʻeni, ko e tuku ki lalo ʻi ho nima, pe ki he tuʻa ʻo ho tauʻanga taupotu.

Kuo lava ke hoko ha faʻaʻiʻo ʻo e AC Joint, pe ha fakapāpāʻi ʻo e fehokotakiʻanga mo e fakaliliu ʻo e ligaments.

Ka kuo maumauʻi ʻa e ligaments ʻi ho maumauʻi, kuo hoko ha puʻu ʻi luga ʻo ho AC Joint.  Ha ngaahi maumauʻi kehe ʻo e AC Joint kuo hoko mai ʻi ha maumauʻi kuo ʻi ai pe ha faʻaʻiʻo ʻo e uho ʻo e hui taupotu.  Ko e hui talikava ko e hui konga pe ia ʻoku fehokotaki ʻa e hui taupotu ki he sino.  Ko ia ai, ko e tauʻanga taupotu kuo ne tali ki he maluʻi ʻo e uho ʻi he vahaʻa ʻo e hui taupotu ke tokoni ʻa e ACJ.  Ka kuo i ai ha taimi lahi ʻo e faʻaʻiʻo ʻo e hui taupotu, kuo lava ke ne fakatupu ha faʻaʻiʻo ki he AC Joint.

 

Ngaahi Fakamatala Laʻi

Ko e mamahi ʻo e AC Joint kuo hoko mai ʻi ha taimi ngāueʻaki kuo lava ke hoko ha faʻaʻiʻo ʻi he funga ʻo e tauʻanga taupotu. ʻI ha ngaahi taimi kuo i ai ha puʻu ʻi he funga ʻo e tauʻanga taupotu. Ko e mamahi ni kuo lava ke hoko ʻi he faʻaʻiʻo ʻi he faʻaʻiʻo, pe ko e meʻa ʻoku lava ke tataki ʻi he faʻaʻiʻo. ʻI ha taimi kehe kuo lava ke ne fakafoki mamahi ki ha ngaahi feituʻu kehekehe ʻo e sino. Kuo lava ke hoko ki luga ʻo ho ua, ʻi he funga ʻo e hui taupotu, pe ki he tuʻa ʻo ho nima. Ko hoʻo fisiʻo kuo ne tokoni ke fakahā pe ʻoku i ai ha maumauʻi ʻo e AC Joint ʻi he faiʻi ha ngaahi fakaʻilonga ki hoʻo mamahi, pea fēfē hono fai ke maluʻi pe ke hoko mamahi ange. Kiate kinautolu kuo maumauʻi ʻa e AC Joint kuo lava ke hoko ha mamahi lahi taimi kuo hiki ho nima ki mua ʻo e sino, pe kuo hiki hake ki luga ʻi he tukuhau ʻo e ngāueʻaki ʻo e nima.

Ko hoʻo fisiʻo kuo ne fai foki ha ngaahi fakataʻu ʻi he falemaʻi ke fakahā pe ʻoku hoko mai hoʻo mamahi mei he AC Joint.

 Kuo kau ki ai ha ngaahi fakataʻu pe ko e palpation, horizontal flexion / scarf test, Paxinos sign, pe Piano key test.