The fracture in my wrist bone, the scaphoid, has still not healed after 12 weeks in a cast. What's next?
A scaphoid fracture that doesn't heal within several months is considered a nonunion. If the injury is fairly recent, your doctor might recommend more time in the cast. He or she might also prescribe an electrical stimulator. The electrical stimulator is a device that sends a small electrical current to your scaphoid bone. You wear it like a large bracelet for ten to twelve hours a day. Electrical current has been shown to help the bones heal. If the nonunion is quite old, or if the cast and the electrical stimulator fail to heal the fracture, your surgeon will probably suggest surgery.
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