A prospective study of 111 patients thought to have sustained a recent scaphoid fracture on clinical grounds but who were radiologically negative was undertaken over a period of 7 months. All such patients were subjected to ultrasound scanning within a week of their injury under double blind conditions. All patients were re-X-rayed 2-3 weeks after their injury. The authors' results suggest that ultrasonic diagnosis of the possibly fractured scaphoid is unreliable.