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Scaphoid fractures - why they are so common and sometimes missed?

  • 13.11.2015
  • HelenShaw
  • None

I deal with a lot of motorcycle accident claims and, in my experience, scaphoid fractures are quite common following motorcycle accidents.

The scaphoid bone is one of the carpal bones located around the wrist and, if fractured, you can experience pain and swelling around the area and tenderness over the thumb-side of the wrist.

Scaphoid fractures do not always show up on initial X-rays, and sometimes not until 10 to 14 days after the injury. They are therefore sometimes missed.

A possible complication of scaphoid fractures is avascular necrosis. If the blood supply is interrupted leaving part of the bone without any blood supply, the bone may not heal properly and there can also be a risk of non-union, which may require surgery.

I hope that this brief blog post will be of help. However, if you would like to know a bit more about scaphoid fractures, please see the link to a more detailed summary and the separate link to the terminology page, if needed.