Scaphoid Fracture, Fixed Percutaneously

Scaphoid fractures can be problematic. The bone is easily broken, and sometimes hard to diagnose, as fractures of this small, peanut-shaped bone don't always show up on x-rays. The bone also has a weak blood supply, which can lead it to be a slow healer.

This patient's displaced scaphoid fracture was treated with percutaneous ORIF, which is a modern technique that relies on live image-guidance to use tiny pinprick sized incisions in the skin to place wires and screws into bones.

In this surgery, a wire is directed across the fracture site after the bone is realigned. The bone alignment is checked in multiple angles. The bone is then prepared, and the screw is placed, after which the wire is removed.

Percutaneous surgery allows the bone to maintain its delicate blood supply by limiting the soft tissue disruption and scarring that is caused by traditional open surgery. Not every scaphoid fracture is amenable to this technique, but it is a great tool in the toolbox for those that are, as healing can be much more rapid.