Eleven patients who had an ununited fracture of the scaphoid associated
with loss of the blood supply to the proximal fragment were managed
operatively with a combination of an inlay corticocancellous bone graft
from the iliac crest and implantation of the second dorsal intermetacarpal
artery, its accompanying venae comitantes, and a thin cuff of perivascular
tissue. The absence of the blood supply to the proximal pole was evidenced
both by radiographic changes--which included increased bone density,
absence of normal trabeculae, and cystic changes--and by failure to observe
bleeding bone during the operation. There were ten men and one woman. The
average duration of non-union was fourteen months (range, six to
thirty-three months). Six patients had had previous unsuccessful operative
attempts to obtain union. Eight non-unions were in the proximal one-third
and three, at the waist of the scaphoid. Union was achieved in ten patients
at an average of ten weeks postoperatively. According to the wrist-scoring
system of the Mayo Clinic, at an average of five years (range, 2.5 to
eleven years), three patients had a grade of excellent; three, good; three,
fair; and two, poor. Four patients had subsequent reconstructive
procedures; radial styloidectomy, styloidectomy and resection of
osteophytes, radioscapholunate arthrodesis, and total wrist arthrodesis
were performed in one patient each.