Nonunion--pseudoarthrosis of the scaphoid bone treated with percutaneous fixation, with compression and distraction

Abstract

Fractures, and especially pseudoarthroses of the scaphoid bone, are a great problem in orthopedic surgery, because the failure percentage is remarkably high (20-30%) even with the top modem treatment methods. Use of grafts, especially well-vascularized ones, along with good fixation, has improved treatment outcomes, but the failure and complication percentages remain high. In the pilot study, we present the first five patients with the pseudoarthrosis of the scaphoid bone, male, of 26.8 years of average age (from 22 to 34-years-old), in whom the method of extrafocal fixation, with distraction and compression, was applied. The fracture healing was achieved in all patients after an average period of 87 days (from 60 to 100 days), with the healing time also including a minimum of a month of physical therapy, after the fixator was removed. The result was evaluated using the Mayo wrist score, and from the preoperative 26 points, 82 points were achieved.