Scaphoid fractures in children

Abstract

Fracture of the carpal scaphoid before skeletal maturity represents 0.34% of all fractures in children and 0.45% of children's upper limb fractures. Seventy-seven children, with a mean age of 11 years (range 8-14 years), suffered a scaphoid fracture in Nottingham, England, between 1977 and 1984 inclusive. Sixty-four of them have been personally reviewed. The mechanism of injury was usually a fall onto the outstretched hand and in the majority was an undisplaced fracture of the distal third of the bone. Immobilization in a scaphoid type of forearm-hand cast led to union in virtually all instances. Nonunion is very rare in treated cases of fresh fracture of the carpal scaphoid.