Treatment of nonunions of the scaphoid with the Ender compression blade plate system.

Abstract

A relatively high failure rate is associated with bone grafting with or without screw fixation in scaphoid nonunions. Complicating factors include avascular necrosis, cystic degeneration, and osseous size discrepancy or compromise. The Ender blade plate is suitable for adding stability in these cases, in spite of the necessity for late removal and the possibility of articular impingement. Twenty patients were treated with this technique. Nine of these patients had had previous unsuccessful attempts at nonunion repair. Nineteen had satisfactory results, but one had a persistent nonunion. The use of the Ender blade plate system is applicable for treatment of these difficult cases that are not ideally suited to compression screw fixation.