ACJ Injury help!

[dannypad1991]

Hi all,

Completely new to this so sorry if already covered/ I'm posting in the wrong forum!

A year ago I suffered a grade 3 ACJ seperation by being cleared out of a ruck. I was booked in for surgical reconstruction 3 months later but the surgery was cancelled last minute .
I am now back on the waiting list and will have the op in the next 12 weeks.

I haven't been able to play since, I have full ROM but any impact to the affected area is painful. The surgeon has advised I will be fit to play within about 3 months of the surgery.

After reading about the surgery (Surgilig re-constriction) everywhere says that the chance of it re-lapsing while playing again is as high as 50%...

Does anyone have any experience of this? Anybody had the surgery and returned back to playing?

Any help would be great!!

Thanks, Dan

 

[Feicarsinn]

ACJ as in AC joint or?

 

[dannypad1991]

Yes, AC Joint... Sorry, different terminology

 

[munstermuffin]

Hey I can offer some advice but can I ask few things.
What's strength like?
What ROM above head?
The chances of redoing the injury or making it worst before the op much higher.
Can you lie on side with it and was it popped back in ok or was there any issues?

You will be able to get back playing but my advice would be (as most rugby or impact sport guys are told) it'll take closer to 6 months after the op nearly. Simply because you'll literally be building up the shoulder from scratch. Also the condition of surrounding joints matter too. Did the doc say you need the op for sure as a lot of grade 3's don't require surgery. All I've said is simply based on you getting surgery

 

[dannypad1991]

Hey I can offer some advice but can I ask few things.
What's strength like?
What ROM above head?
The chances of redoing the injury or making it worst before the op much higher.
Can you lie on side with it and was it popped back in ok or was there any issues?

You will be able to get back playing but my advice would be (as most rugby or impact sport guys are told) it'll take closer to 6 months after the op nearly. Simply because you'll literally be building up the shoulder from scratch. Also the condition of surrounding joints matter too. Did the doc say you need the op for sure as a lot of grade 3's don't require surgery. All I've said is simply based on you getting surgery

Strength is okay - ish. At the gym I am fine with all shoulder related exercises, some weakness with front raises.. I only experience pain during chest exercises i.e bench press etc as it is very unstable and pops out all the time.

ROM overhead is fine, no pain, weakness etc.

I can lie on the side with minimal pain. With the ACJ there is nothing to pop back in as such as far as I was aware?... the joint it simply held with 2 sets of ligaments, both of which have snapped. The surgeon described it as a "piano key" only held on by the joint with my sternum.

It 100% needs surgical intervention apparently. During the impact my clavicle fractured and there is now some floating bone. It is very unstable also. they tried 6 months of physio but nothing helped.

 

[ratsapprentice]

Had the same thing... unfortunately was told by the emergency room at the time that "it's not broken (clavicle), rest it" and that's all, GP said much the same.
Wasn't told "officially" that I had done my AC until about 6 months later when I went to a physio after the joint was still not stable at all and popping out during certain gym movements!
I still don't understand how a GP can fail to diagnose an AC joint injury given how painfully obvious they are?!

I have only played once since doing it (going on 5 years now) and it was definitely sore from relatively light knocks - I don't feel comfortable playing at all.
But then again my ROM isn't perfect on that shoulder and there are some movements where I still get impingement, so I guess we are in different states.

Good luck with the recovery.

 

[munstermuffin]

Strength is okay - ish. At the gym I am fine with all shoulder related exercises, some weakness with front raises.. I only experience pain during chest exercises i.e bench press etc as it is very unstable and pops out all the time.

ROM overhead is fine, no pain, weakness etc.

I can lie on the side with minimal pain. With the ACJ there is nothing to pop back in as such as far as I was aware?... the joint it simply held with 2 sets of ligaments, both of which have snapped. The surgeon described it as a "piano key" only held on by the joint with my sternum.

It 100% needs surgical intervention apparently. During the impact my clavicle fractured and there is now some floating bone. It is very unstable also. they tried 6 months of physio but nothing helped.

That pain at chest exercises shows weakness and vulnerability. You've to be careful as do much pressure will effect collar bone too. But if ACJ does become loose enough and has fragments they may pop it back a bit structurally like a dislocated shoulder but obviously not a severe. The best advice id say is stay off weights.
For strength and rehab you should try the bands and exercises like pulling in and out. And up and down. But it's more about control than strength. Also do you know the 'spider drills' using a wall. Where it's up down left right etc with your side or front facing wall. Them exercises and also before surgery if you go pool and like shadow box slow under water it'll make difference