TREATMENT OF SCAPHOID PSEUDARTHROSIS BY THE “ZEMEL TECHNIQUE” – 51 CASES.

The “Zemel technique” for scaphoid pseudarthrosis without major carpal collpse is a modification of the Matti-Russe procedure, using only cancelous bone graft and 2 Kirchner wires for fixation – these are introduced under direct vision after a large curetage of the pseudarthrosis, then partially withdrawn and reintroduced after tight local cancelous bone packing. We used it in 51 cases, obtaining bone union in 48. In 9 patients bone, union was not certain after 12 weeks of plaster and K wires were replaced by a screw with no further immobilization, but we still had 3 nonunions. This procedure, technically easy to perform and using current orthopaedic material, seems a good alternative to non-angulated pseudarthrosis of the scaphoid, except of its proximal pole.