Treatment of nonunion in fractures of the carpal navicular by the Matti-Russe operation.

The factors favouring delayed and nonunion in fractures of the carpal navicular are discussed. These may be anatomical, biological, mechanical, or related to diagnosis and treatment. Twenty cases are presented which were treated between 1980 and 1985 by the Matti-Russe operation. Unlike Matti-Russe, the authors remove the transplant from the distal metaphysis of the homolateral radius, which is easily exposed by prolonging the skin incision by a few centimetres. This reduces the operating time. The authors conclude by emphasizing the reliability and simplicity of this method, which resulted in consolidation in 87% of the cases.