The Weaver–Dunn procedure is a generally successful type of
surgery
Surgery ''cheirourgikē'' (composed of χείρ, "hand", and ἔργον, "work"), via la, chirurgiae, meaning "hand work". is a medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a person to investigate or treat a pat ...
involved in the treatment of severe
separated shoulder
A separated shoulder, also known as acromioclavicular joint injury, is a common injury to the acromioclavicular joint. The AC joint is located at the outer end of the clavicle where it attaches to the acromion of the scapula. Symptoms include non ...
s developed by James K. Weaver, M.D., Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Harold K. Dunn, M.D., Salt Lake City, Utah, in the early 1970s.
The procedure is done to essentially replace the
coracoclavicular ligaments with the
coracoacromial ligament
The coracoacromial ligament is a strong triangular ligament between the coracoid process and the acromion. It protects the head of the humerus. Its acromial attachment may be repositioned to the clavicle during reconstructive surgery of the acrom ...
.
There is currently no "gold standard" surgery to repair acromioclavicular separations, and many surgeries have been created. However, this is one of the more common fixes.
The original surgery is described as follows.
# Resection of the distal 2 cm of distal
clavicle
The clavicle, or collarbone, is a slender, S-shaped long bone approximately 6 inches (15 cm) long that serves as a strut between the shoulder blade and the sternum (breastbone). There are two clavicles, one on the left and one on the rig ...
# Detaching the acromial end of the
coracoacromial ligament
The coracoacromial ligament is a strong triangular ligament between the coracoid process and the acromion. It protects the head of the humerus. Its acromial attachment may be repositioned to the clavicle during reconstructive surgery of the acrom ...
, and possibly shortening it.
# Attaching the remaining ligament to the remaining clavicle with
sutures.
Modern variations of the procedure may use additional fixation methods to better stabilize the distal clavicle end as the original construction is rather weak compared to the unharmed shoulder. Even with these modifications, the modern surgeries do not match intact
coracoclavicular ligament strength in cadaveric testing.
However, such testing does not account for what the living body may perform in the process of healing, in terms of joint remodeling, etc.
See also
*
Shoulder surgery
Shoulder surgery is a means of treating injured shoulders. Many surgeries have been developed to repair the muscles, connective tissue, or damaged joints that can arise from traumatic or overuse injuries to the shoulder.
Dislocated shoulder
A d ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Weaver-Dunn procedure
Shoulder surgery