Diagnosis of fracture of the carpal scaphoid with 4 oblique projections.

Two hundred and nine consecutive patients who suffered acute trauma had their carpal scaphoids examined by a radiographic method comprising 4 oblique projections with 1.4 x magnification. The method proved to be extremely sensitive in the primary diagnosis of scaphoid fracture, as none of 111 patients with normal primary examinations, but persistent soreness, proved to have fractures on control radiographs. A treatment less rigoristic than the traditional plaster cast is suggested when no fracture is shown on primary radiographs obtained by this method.