Scaphoid (navicular) fractures of the wrist in children: attention to the impacted buckle fracture.

We retrospectively analyzed the radiographic findings in 76 patients with proven scaphoid (navicular) fractures. The purpose of the study was to determine the incidence of the impacted buckle fracture of the scaphoid bone in children. Fourteen of the 76 patients (17%) demonstrated such a fracture, and all of the fractures occurred in the middle or distal third of the scaphoid bone. The mean age of this group of patients was 13.7 years, as compared to the mean age of 15.6 years in the patients with overt transverse fractures. One out of 14 of the patients with a buckle fracture was female. None developed complicating aseptic necrosis. The fractures were most clearly visualized on AP and oblique views of the wrist, and all cases demonstrated edematous thickening of the soft tissues and/or navicular fat pad obliteration adjacent to the scaphoid bone. The use of comparative views was extremely helpful in the detection of this fracture.