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Orthopedic Surgery
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Poster
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Clinical Science
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Research/Clinical
Abstract
Background: The scaphoid is a unique carpal bone due to its anatomical position and due to its retrograde blood supply it is highly vulnerable to fractures, nonunion, and avascular necrosis. Acute stress fractures occur more commonly due to falling on an outstretched hand while stress fractures are observed in instances where there is repetitive dorsiflexion of the wrist. Some instances of acute stress fractures are observed in contact sports such as football and stress fractures are more common in sports such as gymnastics. Management for both types of scaphoid fractures can be conservative or surgical with screw fixation and bone grafting. This review aims to evaluate return to sport rates, range of healing time, and complications observed with conservative and surgical management of scaphoid fractures in athletes.
Methods: This systematic review was conducted in accordance with the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA). This search yielded a total of 487 articles, with the implementation of inclusion and exclusion criteria and the removal of duplicates the search was reduced to 8 articles. Three databases were utilized: PubMed, Science Direct, and Sage Journals, using the Boolean operators - (((scaphoid) AND (fracture)) AND (treatment)) AND (athlete).
Results: A total of 125 athletes experienced scaphoid fractures from a wide range of sports including: football, basketball, baseball, archery, weight lifting, gymnastics, platform diving, and tennis. Among all the athletes 56% of scaphoid fractures occurred due to contact sports.
Clinical outcomes of surgical intervention via herbert screw fixation and bone grafting ranged from 92-100%, with nonunion complications occurring in patients with comorbidities. The time to return to sport after surgical intervention ranged from 5.8 weeks to 4 months.
Clinical outcomes for conservative management via immobilization in a thumb spica cast demonstrated union within a range of 8 weeks-5 months with no complications observed. The time to return to sport ranged between 3 and 6 months.
Conclusion: Acute scaphoid fractures are observed to be more prevalent in contact sports due to the high likelihood of falling on outstretched hands. Stress fractures are more common in sports such as gymnastics, diving, and tennis due to repetitive wrist dorsiflexion and hyperextension. Although surgical intervention demonstrated high rates of union and faster return to sport time there is increased risk of nonunion or hardware complications. Careful consideration should be taken into account with individual athletes to determine what type of treatment is best.
Recommended Citation
Gutierrez, Yolanda V.; Shaju, Ronald A.; Rivera, Joaquin S.; Sepulveda, Alyssa S.; and Ahmad, Aamir, "Treatment and Return to Sport in Athletes with Scaphoid Fractures" (2025). Research Symposium. 178.
https://scholarworks.utrgv.edu/somrs/2025/posters/178
Included in
Treatment and Return to Sport in Athletes with Scaphoid Fractures
Background: The scaphoid is a unique carpal bone due to its anatomical position and due to its retrograde blood supply it is highly vulnerable to fractures, nonunion, and avascular necrosis. Acute stress fractures occur more commonly due to falling on an outstretched hand while stress fractures are observed in instances where there is repetitive dorsiflexion of the wrist. Some instances of acute stress fractures are observed in contact sports such as football and stress fractures are more common in sports such as gymnastics. Management for both types of scaphoid fractures can be conservative or surgical with screw fixation and bone grafting. This review aims to evaluate return to sport rates, range of healing time, and complications observed with conservative and surgical management of scaphoid fractures in athletes.
Methods: This systematic review was conducted in accordance with the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA). This search yielded a total of 487 articles, with the implementation of inclusion and exclusion criteria and the removal of duplicates the search was reduced to 8 articles. Three databases were utilized: PubMed, Science Direct, and Sage Journals, using the Boolean operators - (((scaphoid) AND (fracture)) AND (treatment)) AND (athlete).
Results: A total of 125 athletes experienced scaphoid fractures from a wide range of sports including: football, basketball, baseball, archery, weight lifting, gymnastics, platform diving, and tennis. Among all the athletes 56% of scaphoid fractures occurred due to contact sports.
Clinical outcomes of surgical intervention via herbert screw fixation and bone grafting ranged from 92-100%, with nonunion complications occurring in patients with comorbidities. The time to return to sport after surgical intervention ranged from 5.8 weeks to 4 months.
Clinical outcomes for conservative management via immobilization in a thumb spica cast demonstrated union within a range of 8 weeks-5 months with no complications observed. The time to return to sport ranged between 3 and 6 months.
Conclusion: Acute scaphoid fractures are observed to be more prevalent in contact sports due to the high likelihood of falling on outstretched hands. Stress fractures are more common in sports such as gymnastics, diving, and tennis due to repetitive wrist dorsiflexion and hyperextension. Although surgical intervention demonstrated high rates of union and faster return to sport time there is increased risk of nonunion or hardware complications. Careful consideration should be taken into account with individual athletes to determine what type of treatment is best.
