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Introduction Fractures of the scaphoid account for 60-70% of all wrist bone fractures. The results of treatment in terms of bone healing vary depending on the type and location of the fracture, the time elapsed since the injury, the type of surgical treatment. Nonunion occurs in 5-15% of the cases on average. The purpose of this paper is to compare the surgical techniques and results of treating scaphoid nonunion (SNU) with osteoplastic xenografts of bovine origin or a vascularized autograft of the distal part of the dorsal radius. Methods We compare two groups of patients with symptomatic SNU, treated surgically with either a vascularized graft (n = 15) or a xenograft of bovine origin (n = 15). In the presurgical stage, the demographic characteristics of the patients, the time elapsed between injury and surgery, and classification of the injury (Schonberg, Herbert-Fisher, and Geissler-Slade) were recorded. One year following surgery, bone healing, total duration of the treatment, complications, the Mayo wrist score, and answers to the DASH questionnaire were analyzed.Results No statistically significant differences between the two groups of patients were observed for bone healing (86.7% vs 80%) or functional results. A highly significant difference was observed with respect to duration of the surgical intervention in favor of xenografts. Conclusion The xenograft method is simple and relatively acceptable, providing good results in terms of healing and functionality.

Giovanni Battista Monteggia was born in Laverne on the 8th of August 1762. Monteggia started his education in the School of Surgery at the Hospital Maggiore in Milano in 1779.This hospital was called "Big House"and it is one of the oldest medical institutions in Italy. He passed exam in surgery in 1781. Monteggia was promoted to assistant at surgery in Maggiore hospital in 1790. He was among the first who gave a complete clinical description of polio. He described traumatic hip dislocation and special forearm fracture which was named after him. Strictly speaking, a Monteggia fracture is a fracture of the proximal third of the ulna with an anterior dislocation of the radial head. Monteggia became a member of the renewed Institute of Science, Literature and Art in Milano in 1813.