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I fractured the scaphoid bone near the base of my thumb and need to get back to work right away. My doctor says I can either have surgery or a cast. What's my best bet?

A recent study showed that having surgery to implant a screw into the broken bone leads to faster healing than a cast. Patients who had surgery healed five weeks faster than those who had casts. They also returned to work seven weeks sooner. Both kinds of treatment produce good results, but if time is an issue, research suggests surgery may be the better option.

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