Hand and wrist injuries often have devastating consequences for athletes participating in competitive sports. These consequences may include significant loss of playing time, an inability to maintain preinjury performance levels, or in the worst case scenario, an unexpected end to a potentially productive career. The estimated incidence of hand and wrist injuries in athletics constitutes 3% to 9% of all sports injuries [1]. Of the bones of the carpus, the scaphoid remains the most commonly fractured (60% to 70% of all carpal bones) [2,3]. As participation in both contact and noncontact sports continues to increase in both the male and female populations, the incidence of these injuries will likely also rise. Athletes at all levels continue to increase in size and speed, and their potential for serious injury has also increased (Fig. 1). At greatest risk are those athletes involved in high-impact, collision sports such as football or hockey. Collisions in these sports produce a significant amount of kinetic energy, which can produce major ligamentous and osseous injuries to the wrist and hand. This article reviews the incidence of these injuries in the sports population and evaluates these fractures based on the specific sport and the mechanism of injury. The authors describe their technique for the arthroscopic evaluation and dorsal percutaneous treatment of scaphoid injuries. Importantly, rehabilitation protocols and the conditions for the safe return of athlete to play are outlined by his or her respective sport.
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