Background: Traditionally, non-displaced scaphoid fractures are considered by most as stable with predictable rates of healing with conservative treatment. There is a current trend in orthopedic practice, however, to treat non- or minimal displaced fractures with early open reduction and internal fixation. This trend is not evidence based. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we pool data from trials comparing surgical and conservative treatment for acute scaphoid fractures, thus aiming to summarize the best available evidence.

Methods: We searched the Cochrane Bone, Joint and Muscle Trauma Group Specialised Register, CENTRAL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL and reference list of articles, and contacted researchers in the field. We selected eight randomized controlled trials comparing surgical versus conservative interventions for acute scaphoid fractures in adults. Data were pooled using fixed-effects and randomeffects models with standard mean differences (SMD) and risk ratios for continuous and dichotomous variables respectively. Heterogeneity across studies was assessed with Forest plots and calculation of the I2 statistic.

Results: Four-hundred seventeen patients were included in eight trials (205 fractures were treated surgically and 212 conservatively). Most trials lacked scientific rigor. Four studies assessed functional outcome with validated physician- and patient-based outcome instruments. With the numbers available (200 patients), we found a significant difference according to our primary outcome measure, standardized patient-based outcome in favor of surgical treatment (p< 0.0001). With regard to our secondary parameters, we found heterogeneous results that favored surgical treatment for grip strength, time to union and time off work. In contrast we found no significant differences between surgical and conservative treatment for pain, range of motion, rate of nonunion, malunion, and infection, rate of complications, and total treatment costs.

Conclusions: Patient-rated functional outcome and satisfaction as well as time to return to function favored surgical treatment for acute scaphoid fractures. However, there is no evidence from prospective randomized controlled trials on physician-rated functional outcome, radiographic outcome, complication rates and treatment costs to favor surgical or conservative treatment for acute scaphoid fractures.