The scaphoid fracture is the second most common broken bone in the wrist area. The scaphoid is one of the eight small carpal bones present between the wrist joint and the fingers (see illustrations at left). Frequently, scaphoid fractures are not visible on an initial x-ray.

In comparison to other bones, scaphoid bones are particularly delicate, because they have a notoriously poor blood supply. When the scaphoid bone is struck, the already poor blood supply to the bone is damaged, which interrupts the flow of healing nutrients carried by your blood. This reduced blood supply has a negative effect on the healing process, and a fracture or break in the scaphoid bone frequently occurs.