Minimal invasive percutaneous Herbert screw fixation in acute unstable scaphoid fracture.

The purpose of this study is to document the percutaneous Herbert screw fixation technique with free-hand method to stabilise acute unstable scaphoid fractures and evaluated the clinical results. Thirteen patients with less than 14 day-old fractures were fixed by percutaneous Herbert screw and reviewed retrospectively for a minimum of 24 months (average, 37 months). All were men with an average age of 22 years. According to Herbert's classification, all fractures were classified as of the acute unstable (B2). Fracture union was achieved in all cases at a mean of 9.2 weeks (eight to 12 weeks). Return to work or school ranged from one day to three weeks according to their occupation. This percutaneous fixation technique using Herbert screw is a reliable and effective alternative for acute scaphoid fractures, which enables the patient to use the hand earlier with high satisfaction and minimum complication.