A significant portion of people who undergo surgery will need another operation later as the injury causes the joint to degenerate and become painful. Other physicians feel that some patients benefit from surgical repair. One case where repairing the ligaments may be best is in the case of the highly functioning throwing athlete. Some would argue that these athletes perform better following repair than without the repair. In some grade 3 shoulder separations, surgery may be suggested.
Surgery involves relocating the joint and repairing the torn ligaments.
A screw, or some other type of fixation may be used to hold the joint together while the ligaments heal. If a screw is used to hold the clavicle in place while the ligaments heal, it will usually be removed six or eight weeks after the surgery. If not removed, the screw will probably break. It appears that many people, whether they had the joint repaired surgically or not, will need a second operation at some time in the future. The injured joint degenerates faster than normal and over time becomes arthritic and painful.