What is a scaphoid fracture of the wrist?
A scaphoid fracture is a break in a small bone on the thumb side of your wrist. Of the eight carpal bones in your wrist, your scaphoid bone is the most likely one to break. It is important to find out if you have a scaphoid fracture, because scaphoid fractures need treatment to heal well. With proper treatment and follow-up, most scaphoid fractures will heal over time. Without treatment, and sometimes with treatment, healing can be slow and difficult because parts of the scaphoid bone do not have a good blood supply. If your scaphoid bone does not heal well, you can have long-term pain, stiffness, or arthritis in your wrist. What causes a scaphoid fracture? Most scaphoid fractures occur when you stretch your hand out in front of you to protect yourself from a fall. They can also occur when your wrist twists severely or is hit very hard. Scaphoid fractures often happen while a person is playing sports such as football, soccer, or basketball or during activities such as Rollerblading, sk
