Bipolar Acromioclavicular Joint Resection

Acromioclavicular (AC) joint arthropathy remains one of the most common causes of shoulder pain. In the case of AC joint arthropathy resistant to conservative treatment, most authors have recognized distal clavicle resection as the gold-standard treatment. However, some challenges remain to be solved. One is the difficulty in visualization of the superior and posterior part of the distal clavicle from the midlateral portal, causing an incomplete resection of the distal clavicle. This could potentially lead to unresolved pain and therefore surgical failure. We propose a technique for arthroscopic resection of the distal clavicle and the medial portion of the acromion, without any added portal: bipolar AC joint resection. The term “bipolar” is used because both the acromion and the clavicle are resected, without injuring the superior capsule.