Abstract
We conducted a prospective randomised study comparing the clinical, functional and radiographic results of 46 patients treated for scaphoid nonunion using a vascularised bone graft from the dorsal and distal aspect of the radius (group I), relative to 40 patients treated by means of a conventional non-vascularised bone graft from the distal radius (group II). Surgical findings included 30 sclerotic, poorly-vascularised scaphoids in group I versus 20 in group II. Bone fusion was achieved in 89.1% of group I and 72.5% of group II patients (p = 0.024). Functional results were good to excellent in 72.0% of the patients in group I and 57.5% in group II. Considering only patients with sclerotic, poorly-vascularised scaphoids, the mean final outcome scores obtained were 7.5 and 6.0 for groups I and group II, respectively. We conclude that vascularised bone grafting yields superior results and is more efficient when there is a sclerotic, poorly-vascularised proximal pole in patients in scaphoid nonunion.
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Ribak, S., Medina, C.E.G., Mattar, R. et al. Treatment of scaphoid nonunion with vascularised and nonvascularised dorsal bone grafting from the distal radius. International Orthopaedics (SICOT) 34, 683–688 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00264-009-0862-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00264-009-0862-6