Symptoms of the Affection of the Acromioclavicular Articulation

Symptoms of all the pathological processes in the area of the acromioclavicular articulation are essentially analogous. A local pain, which emanates in a distal direction, rises so our patient often has pains in the area of an attachment of  m. deltoideus. Pains are permanently there, and they get worse at palpation of the articulation. The patient is very often surprised when he/she finds a local soreness of the acromioclavicular articulation during the examination. In the area of the acromioclavicular articulation there can be an oedema and an effusion of soft tissues,  but with regarding to the size of the joint and anatomical rates it is very rare. During the examination of active and passive movements the patient complaints of a painful elevation in flexion and abduction. Sometimes there is a slight restriction of the extension of movements, but we do not meet a big restriction of movements at the affection of the acromioclavicular articulation.   

  A typical symptom of the affection of the acromioclavicular articulation is also so-called scarf symptom, i.e. a painful hyperadduction of the elbow of the affected side towards the healthy shoulder.

 

 

videosequence of scarf symptom

 

At rheumatoid affections there is again a morning stiffness, pains during lying on the affected side. Similarly the impigement syndrome can occur. The impigement syndrome, in our opinion, is inducted very often by an enlargement of the acromioclavicular articulation as an osseous part of the acromioclavicular articulation (described in the X-ray as osteoarthritis), or synovitis of the articular capsule of the acromioclavicular articulation.