Incidence of post-traumatic arthrosis after primary healing of scaphoid fractures: a clinical and radiological study

In a retrospective study of 229 patients with healed fractures of the waist of the scaphoid, the incidence and development of post-traumatic radiocarpal arthrosis was studied. With a minimum follow-up period of seven years, 5.2% of patients showed radiological evidence of radiocarpal arthrosis. It is concluded that an alteration of the carpal dynamics, due to deformation and shortening of the scaphoid, is the most likely cause of post-traumatic arthrosis after primary healing of scaphoid fractures.