AC Sprain

I apologize for the delay between blog posts. It's been a hectic couple of weeks. Keeping with the theme of discussing current football injuries, I thought it would be good to talk about AC sprains. The acromioclavicular joint is the articulation between the distal end of the clavicle and the acromion process of the scapula. It is a critical link in proper functioning of the shoulder complex. Anytime you move your shoulder, the clavicle moves with it. The common term for an AC sprain is a "seperated" shoulder, because of the seperation that occurs between the two bones. This can be a very painful and debiliating injury, especially for a quaterback. This injury commonly occurs from falling on an outstretched hand, or by landing direclty on the joint. In Sam Bradford's case, he landed directly on the AC joint during the BYU game, and again this past weekend against Texas. Because the AC joint is very superficial, it is not easy to protect with padding. It is even harder for a quarterback to rehabilitate from this injury because of the throwing motion. Depending on the severity of the injury, players can be out anywhere from a few days to a few months, if surgery is required to repair the ligaments.

Fun Fact: The Coracoacromial ligament actually connects to the same bone, the acromion process and coracoid process of the scaupula. Almost all ligaments connect two different bones together.
Fun Fact 2: One way to test for damage to the AC joint is to press down on the clavicle. If the clavicle "pops up" more than the non-injured side, then the person may have an AC sprain. This popping up of the clavicle is referred to as the "piano key" sign.