Question:medium
Which part of a scaphoid fracture is most susceptible to avascular necrosis?
Which part of a scaphoid fracture is most susceptible to avascular necrosis?
Show Hint
Retrograde blood supply makes the proximal pole most prone to AVN.
Updated On: Jun 23, 2026
- Distal 1/3rd
- Middle 1/3rd
- Proximal 1/3rd
- Scaphoid tubercle
Show Solution
The Correct Option is C
Solution and Explanation
Step 1: Picture the scaphoid's vascular pattern. Vessels enter near the distal pole and dorsal ridge and then travel backwards toward the proximal pole.
Step 2: This retrograde arrangement means the proximal pole is the last region to be perfused and is wholly dependent on flow crossing from distal to proximal.
Step 3: A break in the proximal third interrupts that chain and strands the proximal fragment without inflow, so it is the segment most likely to die (avascular necrosis) and fail to unite.
Step 4: The distal pole and tubercle keep their direct supply and heal well, and the common waist fracture is not the highest-risk zone for AVN. The proximal third is the answer.
\[\boxed{\text{Proximal 1/3rd}}\]
Step 2: This retrograde arrangement means the proximal pole is the last region to be perfused and is wholly dependent on flow crossing from distal to proximal.
Step 3: A break in the proximal third interrupts that chain and strands the proximal fragment without inflow, so it is the segment most likely to die (avascular necrosis) and fail to unite.
Step 4: The distal pole and tubercle keep their direct supply and heal well, and the common waist fracture is not the highest-risk zone for AVN. The proximal third is the answer.
\[\boxed{\text{Proximal 1/3rd}}\]
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