Carpal scaphoid fracture in the skeletally immature: a single centre one-year prospective study.

We report up-to-date one-year prospective data on the incidence of scaphoid fracture in skeletally immature patients managed in a Fracture Clinic of a Level I Trauma Centre in a University Hospital in the UK. All scaphoid fractures were immobilised until union was achieved. One hundred twenty one skeletally immature patients were referred for a suspected fracture of the scaphoid. Fourteen patients (11.5%) did have a scaphoid fracture, an incidence of 15 per 100,000 (0.55% of all paediatric injuries referred). Mean delay in being seen was 2.6 days, and mean follow-up time was 52.3 days. Only plain radiography was used to diagnose and follow up scaphoid fractures. Fractures of the scaphoid in skeletally immature individuals are uncommon, are usually undisplaced, occur more commonly in the distal portion of the bone, and carry a good prognosis.