Percutaneous fixation of scaphoid fractures through the snuffbox: an anatomical study

Abstract

The aim of the present anatomical study was to assess the dorso-radial approach for percutaneous fixation of scaphoid wist fractures. Through the anatomical snuffbox, cannulated screws or 1.2 mm K-wires were inserted into the scaphoids of 20 fresh-frozen cadavers. No tendon injuries were observed. There were two lesions of the radial artery, and three lesions of the sensory branches of the radial nerve. After dissection and three-dimensional CT reconstruction, the K-wire or screw position was described in relation to the scaphoid centroid and its longitudinal axis. The mean distance between the device and the scaphoid centroid was 2.8 mm (SD 1.4, range 0.6 to 6.1). The mean angle between the device and the scaphoid’s longitudinal axis was 29° (SD 11, range 6.5 to 54). Rather than percutaneous fixation, an open approach with a modest incision might be safer for identifying and protecting both the radial artery and the sensory nerves. This approach would make perpendicular fixation possible for specific patterns of scaphoid fracture orientated approximately 60° from the longitudinal axis.