About this Scientific Article

Scaphoid fractures represent the most common carpal bone fracture, typically occurring after a fall onto an outstretched hand. A large proportion of these fractures occur at the waist of the scaphoid. While the majority of these go on to uneventful union, there is still about a 5–15%1 nonunion rate, due to the tenuous, retrograde blood supply of the scaphoid. Nonunions of the scaphoid can pose a difficult problem. Most surgeons would agree that for nonunions with humpback deformity or cystic changes, bone grafting is likely necessary. There are a large variety of bone grafting options, including nonvascularized and vascularized options. Options include distal radius bone graft, iliac crest bone graft, 1,2-intercompartmental supraretinacular artery pedicled graft, medial femoral condyle pedicled graft, the volar carpal artery graft, as well as others.