ORTHOPEDICS/HAND & WRIST/HAND & WRIST CRACKS
Scaphoid is the navicular bone in the wrist. It is a small bone of the eight carpal bones in the wrist.
A wrist c rack is very frequent and is commonly caused following a fall.
A fall on an outstretched arm may result in more than a wrist pain or twist. Such a fall may usually cause a crack of the scaphoid that is generally of healing slowly.
Slowly Healing Scaphoid crack
The scaphoid is a small bone sitting below the thumb, and is shaped like a kidney bean.
This complicated small bone possesses a unique and restricted blood supply that can be easily disturbed with any crack.
The scaphoid’s blood flow comes from a small vessel that enters the most distant part of the bone and flows back through the bone to give nutrition to the bone cells.
Therefore, because there is only this one, small blood supply, a crack in the center of the bone can really sever the blood flow to the proximal portion of the bone.
For this reason, scaphoid cracks necessitate urgent diagnosis and therapy.
Scaphoid cracks heal very slowly or may not heal completely.
Scaphoid Crack/Diagnosis
Following a fall on an outstretched arm, if an individual feels pain or deep aching on the wrist thumb-side, it is typically a scaphoid crack. Other signs include wrist inflammation, difficulty gripping objects, and soreness in the anatomical snuff box (a sunken space between the tendons of the wrist).
Generally, diagnosis is difficult because the wrist crack usually does not appear directly on X-rays.
Scaphoid Crack/Therapy
Scaphoid Crack is usually treated with cast immobilization.
Repeated X-rays are taken over several weeks or months, because as said before a scaphoid crack does not appear directly on X-rays.
If recurrent X-rays did not give positive results, a surgery can be considered.
Note that the nonunion risk of a scaphoid crack is higher If it is displaced.
Scaphoid crack surgery involves pinning the bone in place with screws.
Scaphoid Crack/Rehabilitation
Due to the long immobilization time needed to treat most scaphoid cracks, rehabilitation is an important healing part.
Range-of-motion trainings should start following the immobilization period, followed by strengthening exercises for the wrist flexors and extensors.
Finally, Supination, pronation, and grip trainings should also be added.
Avoiding Scaphoid Crack
The best way to avoid a scaphoid crack is to use proper protective equipment whenever possible.
Wrist protectors are predominantly useful during sports activities such as rollerblading, snowboarding and many other contact sports.