The Palpable Scaphoid Surface Area in Various Wrist Positions.

Purpose: To determine the theoretical amount of surface area available for palpation of the scaphoid in various wrist positions and to provide a guide depicting which wrist position will expose proximal pole, waist, and distal pole fractures.

Methods: Using 3 fresh-frozen male cadaver wrists, we digitized palpable surface areas (dorsal, volar, and snuffbox) of the scaphoid in several wrist positions. The entire scaphoid was then excised and a digitized 3-dimensional reconstruction of the entire scaphoid was obtained.

Bicolumnar 90-90 plating of low-energy distal humeral fractures in the elderly patient.

Fragility fractures of the distal humerus in elderly patients, especially the low transcondylar fracture pattern, can be difficult to optimally manage. Although the fractures are typically low energy resulting in either extra-articular or simple intra-articular patterns, gaining fixation into the distal fragments can be difficult with open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) using traditional 90-90 or parallel plating techniques. Anatomy preserving reconstruction with ORIF is preferred over total elbow arthroplasty (TEA) if possible.