If a scaphoid fracture is undiagnosed or untreated, it can result in a ‘non-union’. A non-union occurs when the bone fails to heal. Because of the anatomy of the vessels supplying the scaphoid, a non-union can cause disruption in blood supply to a portion of the scaphoid, causing the bone to die and disintegrate.
Scaphoid non-union can be treated arthroscopically by excising the non-union, correcting the deformity, fixing the scaphoid using wires and packing the defect with bone graft harvested from the iliac crest. This treatment option has a high rate of success and is performed via small ‘keyhole’ portals.