Arthroscopic and Radiographic Measurements of Coracoid Base in Patients who Underwent Arthroscopic Assisted Acromioclavicular Joint Stabilization

Acromioclavicular joint injuries are common cause for shoulder pain among young adults and athletes. There are shift of interest towards anatomical ACJ reconstruction recently owing to perceived biomechanical and clinical advantages. Yet, double tunnels in coracoid process resulting in more complications especially iatrogenic fracture. Arthroscopic and radiographic measurements of base of coracoid process in 42 patients who underwent arthroscopic ACJ reconstruction was obtained. The mean length was then compared to each other and with patient?s demographic data (age, gender, ethnicity and BMI). The data were also compared to previously published studies. The mean arthroscopic measurement of coracoid base width was 19.21?1.38mm. There was significant difference between arthroscopic and radiographic measurement, with the latter having wider length, 22.30?1.48mm. Male subjects were found to have wider coracoid base width as compared to female subjects. There was no significant difference observed in between ethnicity groups and no association found in between age and BMI with regards to coracoid base width. The mean coracoid base width in Malaysian population is smaller as compared to previous studies performed on Caucasian populations. Given the potentially narrower coracoid base width of the Malaysian population, extra precautions are required to minimize the risk of iatrogenic coracoid fractures.