Central placement of the screw in simulated fractures of the scaphoid waist: a biomechanical study.

Background: Recent reports on internal fixation of acute fractures of the scaphoid waist have demonstrated higher rates of central placement of the screw when cannulated screws were used than when noncannulated screws were used. This cadaveric study was designed to determine whether central placement in the proximal fragment of the scaphoid offers a biomechanical advantage.

Methods: Eleven matched pairs of scaphoids were removed from fresh cadaveric wrists.