Finite element models are used for qualitative comparison of the risk of fracture associated with clavicle tunnels in reconstruction of the coracoclavicular ligaments for treatment of high-grade acromioclavicular joint (ACJ) injury. The two-tunnel reconstruction technique is found likely to have higher fracture risk than the less anatomic single tunnel reconstruction. The models suggest that four point bending is more likely than three point bending, cantilever bending, or axial loading to differentiate the reconstruction techniques in a laboratory experiment. The results must be narrowly interpreted only in a laboratory context due to the limitations of the study.
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