Nonoperative Compared with Operative Treatment of Acute Scaphoid Fractures - A Randomized Clinical Trial

This report has been verified by one or more authors of the original publication.

83 patients with acute non-displaced or minimally displaced scaphoid fractures were randomly allocated to receive either non-operative treatment with a cast or internal fixation using a Herbert screw. There was no evident long-term benefit of internal fixation as compared to conventional non-operative treatment for the acute non-displaced or minimally displaced scaphoid fractures. There were, however, potentially higher risks of wrist arthritis, cyst formation, and screw malpositioning with operative treatment in the long term.