title: The natural history of suspected scaphoid fractures.
abstract: Clinically suspected scaphoid fractures are common injuries. The authors prospectively followed up, by serial radiography and bone scanning, 23 patients who had a history of trauma to the carpus and associated localized tenderness to the anatomic "snuff box": in 15 patients the radiographs and bone scans were negative; in 5 the radiograph was equivocal and the bone scan positive. The authors concluded that patients with clinically suspected scaphoid fractures and negative radiographs can be treated symptomatically without immobilization in a cast. Patients with equivocal radiographs should be assumed to have a fractured scaphoid and treated accordingly.
authors.affiliation: Division of Orthopedic Surgery, Toronto East General & Orthopaedic Hospital, Inc., Ont.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zarnett
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: T W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Barrington
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: I J
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Harrington
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Maistrelli
authors.forename: B W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Malcolm
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002348:Carpal Bones / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries*; D002370:Casts, Surgical; D005188:False Negative Reactions; D005260:Female; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010808:Physical Examination; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011859:Radiography; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D013997:Time Factors