What is the first treatment tried for scaphoid fracture?

The scaphoid is a small wrist bone that helps connect wrist movement across the thumb side of the joint. A fracture may cause pain in the hollow near the base of the thumb, swelling or reduced grip, although symptoms can be subtle. Keeping the wrist and thumb still limits movement while a clinician checks the injury and reviews imaging. An early image may not show every fracture clearly, so follow-up assessment can matter.

The position and stability of the break affect treatment. Some fractures heal with casting, while a displaced or unstable injury may need a surgical opinion.

Keep the cast or splint dry and use the hand only as instructed. Elevate the wrist when it is swollen, avoid gripping or lifting, and follow the scheduled imaging or review. Do not remove the support because pain has eased. Contact the treating service if the cast becomes loose, wet, damaged or increasingly uncomfortable. Read about [Fracture Casting](/treatments/trauma-and-fracture-care/fracture-casting/) and ask whether [Fracture Fixation Surgery](/treatments/trauma-and-fracture-care/fracture-fixation-surgery/) is relevant to the fracture pattern.

Seek urgent care if fingers become blue, pale, cold, numb or difficult to move, or if swelling and pain rapidly increase. Seek prompt review for fever, drainage, pressure from the cast, or pain that is not controlled as advised. After an injury, persistent thumb-side wrist tenderness deserves assessment even when the first image was reassuring.

Ask where the fracture is, whether the thumb must be included in the cast, when repeat imaging is needed, and what signs would make surgery worth discussing.