Follow-up Result of the Carpal Navicular Fracture

• Published in: Orthopedics & Traumatology Vol. 33; no. 4; pp. 1080 - 1084
• Main Authors: Hanamura, Tatsuo, Yoshiura, Kozo, Takagishi, Nahoto, Matsuzaki, Akio
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: West-Japanese Society of Orthopedics & Traumatology 1985
• ISSN: 0037-1033; 1349-4333
• DOI: 10.5035/nishiseisai.33.1080

We reviewed twenty-three cases of carpal navicular fracture visited our clinic in the past ten years. The length of follow up were one to seven years, with an average of fourty-five months. Prognosis of proximal part fractures were the worst (one fair and one poor) in comparison to that of middle and distal part. Eight cases, all of which were the symptomatic delayed union or non-union, were operated by the bone graft with or without the styloidectomy. The results of operated cases were four good, three fair and one poor. On the other hand, nontreated cases were all evaluated as good and excellent, but most of them had little symptoms when they visited our clinic. The characteristics of their roentogenograms were the absence of bone absorption at the fracture site and the stability in stress roentogenograms. Although many authors refered the carpal osteoarthritis following unstable non-union of the navicula, the result in this series may suggest that surgeons must be prudent in treatment of asymptomatic and stable non-union.