Does scaphoid fracture require cast?

Whether your treatment is surgical or nonsurgical, you may be required to wear a cast or splint for up to 6 months or until your fracture has healed. Unlike most other fractures, scaphoid fractures tend to heal slowly.

What type of cast is used for a scaphoid fracture?

Fractures of the scaphoid bone in the wrist are among the most common broken bone injuries. Traditionally, they have been healed by immobilising the wrist in a plaster cast but over the last two decades, surgeons have increasingly fixed the injury in surgery, by putting a small screw across the break.

How long should a scaphoid fracture be immobilized?

Scaphoid waist fractures with moderate displacement (0.5–1.5 mm) can be treated conservatively, but require prolonged cast immobilization for approximately eight to ten weeks. Internal fixation is recommended for all scaphoid waist fractures with dislocation ≥ 1.5 mm.

How do you apply a cast?

To put on the cast, the health care provider:

1. wraps a liner of soft material around the injured area (for a waterproof cast, a different liner is used)
2. wets the cast material with water.
3. wraps the cast material around the first layer.
4. waits until the outer layer dries to a hard, protective covering.

How do you immobilize a scaphoid fracture?

Whilst immobilisation of scaphoid fractures has traditionally been in a thumb spica, there is good evidence to show that immobilisation of the wrist alone in a short-arm cast is just as effective in promoting union and preventing avascular necrosis.

Can a scaphoid fracture heal in 4 weeks?

Wolfe, MD, commended the researchers’ efforts. “This paper certainly outlines the difficulty in generalizing our treatment of the scaphoid and confirms that there is a subset of nondisplaced fractures that have a likelihood to heal within 4 weeks,” he said.

Should thumb be immobilized for scaphoid fracture?

In conclusion, this study demonstrated that, for nondisplaced scaphoid waist fractures, wrist immobilization is crucial to limiting fracture displacement. However, immobilization of the thumb metacarpophalangeal joint does not contribute to fracture stability under physiologic loading.

How long is scaphoid fracture cast?

If your break is mild and your scaphoid didn’t move far out of place (if it’s non-displaced), you might only need a splint or cast. Splinting usually lasts for three to five weeks. If you need a cast, it’ll likely be for longer, typically six to eight weeks.

Can a scaphoid fracture heal in 3 weeks?

They happen when you break your scaphoid bone — a small bone near the base of your thumb. You might need surgery, but even if you do, you should make a full recovery. People usually need around three months to heal from a scaphoid fracture.

Can you move your wrist with a scaphoid fracture?

A scaphoid fracture that is correctly treated soon after the injury will take about 12 weeks to heel. But an untreated fracture may take as long as six months to recover from. Untreated patients will also usually experience long-term problems moving their wrist or other complications (see below).

When do you apply a cast?

Casts and splints are used when a bone is broken. They can also be used following orthopedic surgery. Sometimes splints are used immediately following an injury due to swelling of the affected area. After the swelling goes down, then a full cast might be applied to the injured limb.

What are the indication of OF cast application?

Indications:

• Fractures.
• Severe sprains.
• Dislocations.
• Protection of post-operative repairs.
• Gradual correction of a deformity with serial casting.

Do you need to Immobilise thumb for scaphoid fracture?

Immobilisation of the thumb is widely believed to be important in the management of fractures of the carpal scaphoid.

Should thumb be immobilized with scaphoid fracture?

What is the fastest way to heal a scaphoid fracture?

Casting. A nondisplaced fracture in the waist or distal pole of your scaphoid that’s treated soon after injury can be treated by immobilizing your wrist with a cast for six to 12 weeks. Once an X-ray shows the fracture is healed, the cast can be removed.

How do you wrap a scaphoid fracture?

Place a short piece of white tape over the scaphoid tubercle around the radial half of the wrist, ending at the central aspect of the dorsal wrist. Place a second piece of white tape over the pisiform, wrapped around the ulnar half of the wrist to end slightly overlapping the first piece.

Can a scaphoid fracture heal in 2 weeks?

How do you speed up the scaphoid fracture healing?

The Road to Recovery

1. Immobilizing the area until your physician says it is okay to reintroduce movements and strengthening exercises.
2. Using a cast or brace to help reinforce your efforts at immobilizing the scaphoid bone.
3. Quitting smoking as this habit can delay any kind of healing by the body.

Can a nurse apply a cast?

Typically a doctor applies a cast and a nurse prepares the patient and the equipment and assists during the procedure. With special preparation, a nurse or other practitioners may apply or change a standard cast, but an orthopedist must reduce and set the fracture.

Are cast re-applications included in the global period?

Are Cast Re-Applications Included in the Global Period? We are hospital employed and are being told that we cannot bill for cast re-applications in the global period. An article posted in the AAOS coding column tells us that cast re-applications are separately reportable and to append a modifier 58.

Is a short arm cast sufficient to immobilise a scaphoid fracture?

So in summary, acute non-displaced waist or distal scaphoid fractures can be treated with casting, and the literature suggests a short arm cast up excluding the thumb provides sufficient immobilisation of the healing scaphoid fracture. References Alshryda, S., Shah, A., Odak, S., Al-Shryda, J., Ilango, B. & Muralia, S.R. (2012).

What is the scaphoid bone used for?

The scaphoid bone is one of the carpal bones on the thumb side of the wrist, just above the radius. The bone is important for both motion and stability in the wrist joint. The word “scaphoid” comes from the Greek term for “boat.” The scaphoid bone resembles a boat with its relatively long, curved shape.

Is a cast re-application billable under incident-to rules?

Answer: Thanks for your specific question and recognition that Incident-To rules apply in your scenario. Yes, if the physician orders the cast re-application and is in the office while the technician applies the cast, the service is billable to Medicare. Append modifier 58 to the cast application code since the patient is in a global period.