Comparison of Radiographic Measurement Parameters of the Wrist in Patients with and without Scaphoid Fracture after Fall on an Outstretched Hand.

Purpose of the study: To investigate the effects of anatomical variations on the mechanism of scaphoid fracture by comparing the radiologic parameters of the wrist of patients with and without scaphoid fracture after a fall on an outstretched hand.

Material and methods: Cross-sectional comparative retrospective analysis of radiographs of patients with (Group 1, n=169) and without scaphoid fracture (Group 2, n=188). Morphometric data were measured including radial inclination (RI), radial height (RH), ulnar variance (UV), carpal height (CH) ratio, revised carpal height (RCH) ratio and palmar tilt of the distal radius (PT). Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analysis was used to assess the diagnostic performance for each variable with statistically significant difference.

Results: The mean RI and PT degrees and RH length were statistically significantly higher, and the mean UV was lower in Group 1 compared to Group 2. No difference was determined between the groups with respect to the CH ratio and RCH ratio. With ROC curve analysis, the cut-off value with the highest odds ratio was determined as RH (Cut-off value=10.77 mm, OR=21.886).

Conclusions: Although higher RI, RH, PT values and more negative ulnar variance were observed in the scaphoid fracture group compared to the non-fracture group, ROC curve analysis showed that only increased RH can be considered as a possible risk factor for scaphoid fractures after fall on an outstretched hand.

Key words: radiographs, risk factor, scaphoid fracture, wrist morphology.