Medical Library Wrist

Scaphoid Fracture

This is a common wrist bone fracture. This is often mistakenly called a wrist strain. It causes tenderness or pain at the point where the base of your thumb meets the wrist. This area is known as the anatomical sniffbox. This is most common in young adults and adolescents who have suffered a fall from the outstretched arm or high-velocity wrist injuries, such as motorcycle accidents.

It can be very difficult to treat a scaphoid bone fracture. A thumb splint is required for 6 weeks if there is a small crack in the scaphoid bones. Surgery will be required if the bone is broken completely. Due to the lack of blood supply, the fracture might not heal completely. This is called delayed union.