Established scaphoid nonunion progressing to spontaneous union in a child

Scaphoid fractures in children are uncommon and account for approximately 0.38% of paediatric fractures. Prompt and adequate immobilisation in a scaphoid cast is necessary for successful treatment. Virtually all scaphoid fractures in children will unite with such conservative measures. We report a case of an established scaphoid nonunion in an 11-year-old child, which spontaneously united 2 years after the initial injury. There appear to be no similar cases in the literature. There is one reported case in an adult, but this represents a separate patient group which behaves differently due to skeletal maturity. This case highlights the importance of appropriate orthopaedic follow-up and radiological examination in a child with a clinical suspicion of a scaphoid fracture, in order to prevent progressive arthritis and nonunions warranting surgical intervention.