Treatment of nonunion of the scaphoid by direct current

Seventy-one per cent (12 of 17) of scaphoid nonunions previously treated by other methods united when the semi-invasive technique of electrical stimulation was used. Patient acceptance of this electrode technique is high, and morbidity is lower than in patients treated by iliac bone grafting. The treatment of nonunion of the scaphoid by the semi-invasive electrical stimulation technique is a reasonable alternative to bone grafting and provides a salvage procedure when bone grafting or other therapeutic modalities have failed.