How are scaphoid fractures treated
How your scaphoid fracture is treated depends on the severity of the original break. Your broken bone needs to heal back together. Depending on how damaged it is or what caused the break, there are a few treatments your healthcare provider might use. Immobilization If your break is mild and your scaphoid didn’t move far out of place (if it’s non-displaced), you might only need a splint or cast. Splinting usually lasts for three to five weeks. If you need a cast, it’ll likely be for longer, typically six to eight weeks. In both cases, you’ll likely need follow-up X-rays to make sure your bone is healing correctly. Closed reduction More severe breaks require a closed reduction to set (realign) your scaphoid. During this nonsurgical procedure, your healthcare provider will physically push and pull your body on the outside to line up your broken bone on the inside. To prevent you from feeling pain during the procedure, you’ll receive one of the following: Local anesthetic to numb the area around your fracture. Sedatives to relax your whole body. General anesthesia to make you sleep through the procedure. After the closed reduction, your healthcare provider will put you in a splint or cast. Scaphoid fracture surgery Internal fixation The most intense fractures require surgery. Your surgeon will realign (set) your scaphoid to its correct position and then secure it in place so it can heal and grow back together. They usually perform what’s called an internal fixation, which means your surgeon inserts pieces of metal into your bone to hold it in place while it heals. Internal fixation techniques include: Plates and screws: Metal plates screwed into your bone to hold the pieces together in place. Pins and wires: Pins and wires hold pieces of bone in place that are too small for other fasteners. They’ll typically be used at the same time as either rods or plates. Some people live with these pieces inserted in them forever. You might need follow-up surgeries to remove them. Bone grafting You might need bone grafting if your scaphoid fracture is severely displaced or if your bone isn’t healing back together as well as it should. Your surgeon will insert additional bone tissue to rejoin your fractured bone. After that, they’ll usually perform an internal fixation to hold the pieces together while your bone regrows. Bone grafts can come from a few sources: Internally from somewhere else in your body — usually the top of your hip bone. An external donor. An artificial replacement piece. Scaphoid fracture surgeries are usually outpatient procedures, and you should be able to go home the same day. After your surgery, your wrist will be immobilized. You’ll need a splint or cast before you can start using it as you did before your fracture.