Carpal ligament injuries with acute scaphoid fractures - a combined wrist injury.

Fifty-two consecutive patients with acute scaphoid fractures were treated by closed reduction and percutaneous screw fixation. In addition, all underwent a wrist arthrogram and 22 patients also underwent a wrist arthroscopy. Eighteen patients (34%) had an associated carpal ligament injury (four scapholunate ligament, eight lunotriquetral ligament, two combined, three TFCC and one minor leak from the distal carpal row). These patients had worse Mayo wrist scores (no ligament injury median score=95: ligament injury median score=85) at a mean final follow-up of 61 weeks. We advocate that scaphoid fractures with associated carpal ligament injuries should be defined as a combined wrist injury.