Therapy
A scaphoid fracture is usually treated conservatively. If the bones have not shifted against each other and do not restrict the movement of the foot, a plaster cast is applied. This immobilizes the foot for several weeks in everyday life to prevent the fracture from worsening and to ensure healing.
Physiotherapy can be performed to promote the movement of the entire foot. However, the load on the scaphoid must be kept as low as possible. If the fracture is displaced or the bone shattered, surgery can be performed in which the bone parts are joined together in the correct position and fixed together with wires. A plaster cast must then also be worn for immobilization so that the fracture can heal at rest. Nowadays, such operations are often performed minimally invasively as part of an arthroscopy.
Duration
Since the foot is loaded with the full body weight with every step, the bones are exposed to great pressure. In order to ensure complete healing of the scaphoid fracture, a long immobilization period is necessary. With a normal healing period, one must reckon with about 6-8 weeks before the foot can be fully loaded again.
A successful operation often extends this healing period by two weeks. In rare cases, excessive muscle atrophy after the phase of immobilization must be followed by a lengthy muscle build-up. Arthritic changes can also be chronic consequences of a bone fracture (see: Pseudoarthrosis)
