The natural history of scaphoid non-union. A review of fifty-five cases

We reviewed the cases of fifty-six scaphoid non-unions in fifty-five patients, none of whom had received treatment of any kind before examination. In the thirty-two patients who had been injured five years or more earlier, arthritis developed in thirty-one (97 per cent). The one patient in whom oste...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inJournal of bone and joint surgery. American volume Vol. 67; no. 3; p. 428
Main Authors Ruby, L K, Stinson, J, Belsky, M R
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 01.03.1985
Subjects
Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Carpal Bones - diagnostic imaging
Carpal Bones - injuries
Female
Fractures, Ununited - complications
Fractures, Ununited - diagnostic imaging
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Osteoarthritis - etiology
Radiography
Time Factors
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Summary:We reviewed the cases of fifty-six scaphoid non-unions in fifty-five patients, none of whom had received treatment of any kind before examination. In the thirty-two patients who had been injured five years or more earlier, arthritis developed in thirty-one (97 per cent). The one patient in whom osteoarthritis developed less than four years after injury also had avascular necrosis of the scaphoid. The incidence of osteoarthritis increased with time after injury. We concluded that patients with established scaphoid non-union should be advised that osteoarthritis will most likely develop.
ISSN:0021-9355
DOI:10.2106/00004623-198567030-00013