Skip to Main Content

176: SCAPHOID FRACTURE

Jennifer Cabrera, DPT, GCS; Eric Shamus, PhD, DPT, PT, CSCS

CONDITION/DISORDER SYNONYM

  • Navicular fracture of the hand

ICD-9-CM CODES1

  • 814.01 Closed fracture of navicular (scaphoid) bone of wrist

  • 814.11 Open fracture of navicular (scaphoid) bone of wrist

ICD-10-CM CODES2

  • S62.009A Unspecified fracture of navicular (scaphoid) bone of unspecified wrist, initial encounter for closed fracture

  • S62.009B Unspecified fracture of navicular (scaphoid) bone of unspecified wrist, initial encounter for open fracture

PREFERRED PRACTICE PATTERN3

  • 4G: Impaired Joint Mobility, Muscle Performance, and Range of Motion Associated with Fracture

PATIENT PRESENTATION

A 25-year-old woman tripped while exiting her tub and fell onto her outstretched hand with her wrist extended. She felt immediate pain, but waited until the next day to seek medical attention. She presented with difficulty moving her wrist in all directions and difficulty gripping objects secondary to worsening pain. She demonstrated mild edema in the wrist and hand. Radiographs showed were negative for a distal scaphoid fracture. Patient was placed in a wrist immobilizer for 3 weeks secondary to pain with a tuning fork and as a precaution. Upon re-examination after 3 weeks patient continued with point tenderness in the snuff box and was sent for a follow-up X-ray. Follow-up X-ray demonstrated a healing fracture line of the scaphoid.

FIGURE 176-1

Scaphoid fracture in the middle third or waist (arrow). (From Tintinalli JE, Stapczynski JS, John Ma O, et al. Tintinalli’s Emergency Medicine: A Comprehensive Study Guide. 7th ed. http://www.accessmedicine.com. Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.)

image
View Full Size||Download Slide (.ppt)
FIGURE 176-2

Gilula’s arcs are seen shown in this normal patient (A) and in a patient with a scaphoid fracture and perilunate dislocation (B). (From Brunicardi FC, Andersen DK, Billiar TR, et al. Schwartz’s Principles of Surgery. 9th ed. http://www.accessmedicine.com. Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.)

image
View Full Size||Download Slide (.ppt)
FIGURE 176-3

A. Preoperative images demonstrate a nonunion of a scaphoid fracture sustained 4 years earlier. B. Postoperatively, cross-sectional imaging with a computed tomography scan in the coronal plan demonstrates bone crossing the previous fracture line. This can be difficult to discern on plain x-rays due to overlap of bone fragments. (From Brunicardi FC, Andersen DK, Billiar TR, et al. Schwartz’s Principles of Surgery. 9th ed. http://www.accessmedicine.com. Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.)

image
View Full Size||Download Slide (.ppt)

KEY FEATURES

Description

  • Any defect in continuity of the scaphoid (carpal bone)

  • Displaced (scaphoid is moved on either side of the fracture) or nondisplaced (scaphoid has not moved)

  • Closed (skin is intact) or open (skin is ...

Pop-up div Successfully Displayed

This div only appears when the trigger link is hovered over. Otherwise it is hidden from view.

This site uses cookies to provide, maintain and improve your experience. MH Privacy Center Close