Non-Structural Cancellous Bone Graft and Headless Compression Screw Fixation for Treatment of Scaphoid Waist Nonunion

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The authors performed an autologous cancellous bone graft from the iliac crest and headless compression screw fixation for the treatment of Mack-Lichtman type II scaphoid waist nonunion. The purpose of this study was to determine whether this procedure was effective in achieving bony union and restoration of alignment. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed medical records and radiographs of 30 patients who underwent a cancellous bone graft and headless compression screw fixation for scaphoid waist nonunion. There 28 men and 2 women with a mean age of 32.8 year-old (range, 21–63 year-old). The mean time to surgery from initial injury was 10 months (range, 3–25 months) and the average follow-up duration was 37.5 months (range, 15–52 months). The authors analyzed bony union, lateral intrascaphoid angle (LISA), scapholunate angle (SLA), radiolunate angle (RLA), and scaphoid length in radiographs and evaluated the modified Mayo wrist score (MMWS) as a functional outcome. RESULTS: Bony union was achieved in all cases. In lateral plain X-ray, preoperative anatomic alignment including LISA, SLA, RLA, and scaphoid length was recovered at immediate postoperative measurement. Those alignment restoration was likely to maintain in final follow-up in despite of statistical difference. The wrist motion and the MMWS improved significantly at the last follow-up. CONCLUSION: A non-structural autologous cancellous bone graft from the iliac crest and headless screw fixation provided reliable results and can be one of the effective treatment options for patients with symptomatic Mack-Lichtman type II nonunion in the middle one-third of the scaphoid.