How long does it take to heal a scaphoid fracture?
Depending on the type, location, and therapeutic treatment of the scaphoid fracture, the duration of therapy can vary between two and twelve weeks. Scaphoid fractures of the two scaphoid thirds near the wrist are considered particularly difficult. In contrast, fractures of the third near the finger usually heal faster.
If a conservative treatment with a plaster splint is used, a fracture near the finger can be expected to heal within 6-8 weeks. The more complicated two thirds near the wrist usually heal only after 10-12 weeks of immobilization. There are also differences in the duration of surgical treatment using a Herbert screw and interfragmentary compression.
Scaphoid fractures close to the finger usually only need to be immobilized with a plaster cast for 2 weeks after the operation. Fractures near the wrist require two to four weeks. How long it takes to heal the scaphoid fracture in the end also depends on the age and general condition of the patient.
It should also be considered that after a 12-week immobilization, a follow-up treatment with physiotherapy and/or rehabilitation may be necessary, as the joint has not been moved for a very long period of time! In addition to the limited range of motion (which usually results directly from the immobilization of the muscles and joints and not from the fracture itself), there may be other residual symptoms following a conservative treatment. These include swelling, numbness in arm and hand and/or increased sensitivity to the weather.
Certain complaints can also occur following an operation. Because nerves running in the forearm can be irritated during the operation, the affected areas may also experience tingling or numbness. These symptoms then disappear completely within a few months, but ultimately in almost all cases, so that the wrist is just as fit for use as before the accident.
From time to time, however, it can also happen that the healing process is rather unfavorable. The risk of this is particularly high if a small piece of the bone has been blasted off, which cannot be supplied with sufficient blood and therefore the healing process is slowed down and made more difficult, or if a scaphoid fracture remains undetected for a long time and therefore remains untreated. Then in some cases a pseudarthrosis of the scaphoid develops.
This means that the bone fragments do not grow back together properly. This ultimately leads to symptoms similar to those of osteoarthritis. Bone rubs against bone, which causes pain for the patient and leads to limited mobility in the joint. In such a case, there is usually an indication for (further) surgical intervention to prevent the complaints from becoming chronic and the hand from being unable to be used properly.
