SCINTIGRAPHY IN THE EVALUATION OF THE CLINICAL SCAPHOID FRACTURE

In a prospective study we performed bone scans on 84 patients who had sustained a wrist injury and in whom a scaphoid fracture was clinicall y suspected but could not be confirmed on the original set of five rou tine ''scaphoid view'' radiographs. In 40 patients the bone scan was n ormal and in 25 there was increased uptake in areas other than the sca phoid. In 19 there was localized increased uptake in the scaphoid bone . In seven of these a scaphoid fracture was subsequently demonstrated on repeat radiographs (five cases) or a CT scan (two cases). In the re maining 12 no fracture could be demonstrated.