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Becks' scaphoid injury explained | |
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Around the Academy: |
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David Beckham has a habit of breaking bones not very many of us have ever heard of. This time it's the turn of the scaphoid (pronounced SKAY-FOID), a little bone which lives in the wrist. Most scaphoid injuries happen without the person actually realising they've broken a bone.
The area around the break is normally painful, but because there is usually little swelling, it often gets mistaken for a sprain.
Where is the scaphoid bone exactly? It's a small bone which looks like a cashew nut located in the wrist that connects to the thumb. If you spread your fingers wide on one hand, you'll see a triangular "hole" appear by the lower base of your thumb called the "anatomical snuffbox". The scaphoid bone lives in there. How is it broken? The injury usually happens if someone has fallen heavily on their outstretched wrist.
But Becks isn't alone - it's a very common injury which most sportsmen and women have suffered throughout their careers. How do I know it's broken?
How is it diagnosed and treated? X-Rays are taken to see how badly the scaphoid has been broken. But sometimes X-rays don't show the break because it can be very difficult to actually see, so a bone scan may be needed to confirm the fracture. For a full recovery, the bone needs to be fully immobilised. A doctor or a nurse will usually apply a cast, which will cover the lower arm, wrist and thumb. How long will a recovery take? A scaphoid break can take up to six to eight weeks to heal. It's a notoriously tricky injury to recover from because blood enters from the top of the bone, but most fractures occur to the middle or lower section.
This means the blood supply can't reach the fracture fast enough for a quick recovery.
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