We treated six patients who had a dislocation of both ends of the
clavicle (an anterior dislocation of the sternoclavicular joint and a
posterior dislocation of the acromioclavicular joint). Two patients who had
fewer demands on the shoulder--an elderly woman and a woman who had had an
ipsilateral amputation of the hand--did well; they had only minor symptoms
after non-operative management. The other four patients (all men) had
continuing pain at the acromioclavicular joint; each had a reconstruction
of the joint, which resulted in a painless, full range of motion and return
to normal activity. No patient had continuing pain in the sternoclavicular
joint.