Scaphoid Fracture Case Study

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Outline: This paper analyzed various treatments for the most commonly fractured carpal bone, the scaphoid. The management of acute, minimally or nondisplaced fractures differ by location and practice; however, there is a new trend towards treating acute scaphoid fractures surgically instead of the conservative practise of cast immobilization.
Method: This research discusses various random controlled trials and meta-analysis articles that have compared the outcome of operative versus conservative management of scaphoid fracture, with the intent of finding the most desirable treatment based on the following factors: rate of union, time to return to normal function, functional outcomes and complications.
Results: The results found that
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Patients in the operative groups show a higher rate of union and returned to work and activities faster, but show a higher degree of complications. Conclusion: There was no consensus toward prioritization of operative treatment in the management of acute scaphoid fractures; there is, therefore a need for future randomized control trials to demonstrate stronger conclusions. Operative treatment seems to be favourable to allow quicker union and early return to normal function, however, short and long terms risks versus benefit should be cautiously evaluated when facing clinical decision concerning the management of such a fracture.

Surgical Compared With Conservative Management of Nondisplaced or Minimally Displaced Acute Scaphoid Fractures

The decision of surgical versus non-operative treatment of acute nondisplaced or minimally displaced acute scaphoid fractures remain a persistent, and at times a heated point of debate. The scaphoid is the most frequently fractured carpal bone. A missed scaphoid fracture can have dire consequences for the patient. There can be loss of function, and avascular necrosis leading to a
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There is not enough current evidence, a lack of noteworthy studies and absence of consistency found in the different research papers reviewed to be able to bring a firm conclusion on how to manage such significant fractures; therefore, there is a requirement for subsequent broad, multi-centre randomized controlled trial, to overcome the complexity of analyzing multiple management methods. Future research would need to have a constant definition of inclusion and exclusion of fracture patterns, and this should be strictly followed. The fixation and immobilization methods should be the same throughout the randomized patients groups. The diagnosis of all fractures and progression to union or nonunion should use computed tomography which is the gold standard to show scaphoid fracture and deformity. A crucial outcome for the Canadian Armed Forces is a faster time to union and return to work while mitigating sequelae, surgical fixation shows considerable faster recovery. Taking all factors that has been presented in this paper in consideration, with regards to the CAF’s, most military personnel would benefit from operative treatment. Surgery would not only benefit the member, but would

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