Article ID Journal Published Year Pages File Type
4072080 The Journal of Hand Surgery: European Volume 2007 4 Pages PDF
Abstract
The MRI finding of bone marrow oedema, without fracture, following trauma to the scaphoid has been called a 'bone bruise'. A similar injury is found in the knee, considered benign and managed conservatively. In the scaphoid, there is the concern that this lesion may lead to scaphoid non-union. This study addresses that concern. The clinical and radiological findings of 41 patients with a scaphoid bone bruise on MRI are described, an MRI classification system proposed and clinical outcomes investigated. Patients were immobilised for 6 weeks. At 3 months, 8 remained symptomatic and had repeat MRI. Four of these showed complete resolution of the bruise, the others improvement. At 6 months, 2 of the 8 complained of minor, intermittent discomfort but progressed to resolution of symptoms. This study suggests that the scaphoid bone bruise is a benign injury with predictable recovery and is unlikely to result in long-term morbidity in the form of non-union.
Related Topics
Health Sciences Medicine and Dentistry Orthopedics, Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation
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