An isolated capitate fracture in a 9-year-old boy

Fracture of the capitate in children is rare but probably underdiagnosed. Diagnosis may require delayed radiographs or, if clinical suspicion is high, alternative investigations such as tomography or radionuclide bone scanning may be helpful. The presence of scaphoid tenderness should not reduce suspicion of a possible capitate fracture. The relatively high incidence of quite serious complications in both scaphoid and capitate fractures should alert one to the possibility of carpal bone fractures even in children.