Does scaphoid fracture surface morphology correlate with fracture stability?

Abstract

We examined the correlations between the surface morphology of acute scaphoid fractures and their stability. Our hypothesis was that a more irregular fracture surface would have a stabilizing effect on the fracture. A total of 75 isolated acute scaphoid fractures of adults were analysed according to location and displacement (as a sign of fracture instability) using a 3-D computed configuration space graph method. Displaced waist fractures had more irregularity than non-displaced fractures. The distal and proximal fractures exhibited a different pattern of displacement in comparison with the waist fractures. Contrary to our hypothesis, greater irregularity was correlated with displacement and may be an additional indicator of fracture instability.