A 25-year-old female complains of pain in the wrist after falling onto an outstretched hand during a soccer game. The pain is localized on the thumb side of the wrist, and there is noticeable swelling. She has difficulty gripping objects. What could be the diagnosis and plan?
This patient's history of a fall onto an outstretched hand, pain on the thumb side of the wrist, and difficulty gripping suggests a scaphoid fracture. This type of fracture can sometimes be missed on initial X-rays, so if the initial X-ray is negative but suspicion remains high due to the patient's symptoms and physical examination, the patient may be treated with immobilization in a thumb spica splint and follow-up for repeat imaging.