Arthroscopic treatment of scaphoid nonunion with distal radius bone graft: A retrospective series of 31 cases.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the clinical outcomes of arthroscopic bone grafting for the treatment of scaphoid nonunion. This was a retrospective, multicenter study involving 31 patients with scaphoid nonunion, all treated arthroscopically. The procedure included harvesting of a cancellous bone graft from the distal radius, arthroscopic debridement of the nonunion site, injection of the bone graft under arthroscopic control, and retrograde percutaneous fixation. At an average follow-up of 11.7 months, 90.3% of the fractures had consolidated at a mean time of 12.2 weeks. The Visual Analog Scale for pain decreased from 4.9 to 1.3, and strength increased from 24.2 kg to 32.3 kg. The Mayo Wrist Score improved from 53.9 to 79, and the Quick Disability of Arm Shoulder and Hand score improved from 40.5 to 10.3. This is a minimally invasive technique that preserves scaphoid vascularization, with results comparable to other techniques. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.