Motorcycle Glove Buying
Scaphoid Fractures and Motorcycle Gloves: What Wrist Protection Can and Cannot Do
What a scaphoid fracture is, why falls cause it, what slider, strap and cuff features aim to do, and why gloves reduce risk but do not prevent it.
A scaphoid fracture is a break in a small wrist bone on the thumb side, and it most often happens when you fall onto an outstretched hand. That is exactly how many riders land. Some gloves add palm sliders, wrist straps or longer cuffs aimed at this injury, but we found no independent study showing any of them prevents it.
Part of our motorcycle glove buying guide. For the wider protection picture, see motorcycle glove safety and standards.
Key takeaways- The scaphoid usually breaks in a fall onto an outstretched hand with weight on the palm.- It heals slowly: poor blood supply, and immobilization can last up to 6 months.- In one study, fitted armor in garments was linked to fewer hand and wrist injuries, but not to fewer fractures.- Gloves reduce risk; they do not prevent this fracture. This is general information, not medical advice.
What the scaphoid is and why it breaks
The scaphoid is one of eight small carpal bones on the thumb side of the wrist, linking the two rows of wrist bones. The OrthoInfo patient site says most fractures follow a fall onto an outstretched hand, with the weight landing on the palm.
Riders tend to put their hands out to break a fall, so hands are often the first to take the hit. One cited study found about 30% of motorcyclists' injuries were to the hands and 23% to the wrists, using 1987 data.
Why this fracture is a problem
Pain and swelling sit near the "anatomic snuffbox", the hollow at the base of the thumb on the back of the wrist, and get worse with pinching or gripping. Some fractures cause only mild pain and are mistaken for a sprain. Wrist pain that has not gone within a day should be checked by a doctor.
The bone has a poor blood supply. Fractures nearer the forearm end heal more slowly and can lead to bone death from lost blood supply. Early X-rays can miss it, so a doctor may immobilize the wrist for 2 to 3 weeks and repeat the scan. Treatment ranges from a cast that includes the thumb to surgery, and immobilization can last up to 6 months.
What glove features try to do
Three features come up most. The table says what each is designed to do and what the evidence is.
The slider is the feature most often tied to the scaphoid by name. For how sliders work and what they are made of, read palm sliders on motorcycle gloves. For cuff differences, see gauntlet gloves vs wristlet gloves and glove styles and cuffs.
| Feature | Designed to | What we found |
|---|---|---|
| Palm slider | Let the palm skate instead of grab, so the wrist is less likely to be forced into hyperextension | Maker claims and one racer's testimonial; no lab, crash or clinical results in the article read |
| Wrist strap | Keep the glove locked onto the wrist | Closure advice from a road-safety council; no scaphoid claim |
| Cuff length | Cover the wrist; the road-safety council advises at least 50 mm beyond the wrist joint | Coverage guidance, not an injury test |
The honest limits
What the research we found says, and does not say:
- A 2011 study of 212 crashed riders found fitted body armor in garments was linked to a lower risk of hand and wrist injury (RR 0.55), but no association with fracture risk was detected. The authors report associations, not proof of cause.
- Riders were less likely to be admitted to hospital if they crashed wearing gloves (RR 0.41). That figure covers gloves in general, not sliders.
- EN 13594 assesses knuckle impact and palm abrasion; the summary we read does not list a wrist or scaphoid test.
- Wrist guards in other sports, such as skating and snowboarding, may lower wrist-fracture risk, but that source does not mention motorcycle gloves.
- 25.7% of motorcycle-designed gloves in the 2011 study were judged to have failed through material damage in the crash.
Put together: a well-made glove helps the hand, and a slider is a reasonable design response to a real injury. Nothing we found shows a glove prevents a scaphoid fracture.
If you think you broke it
Do not wait it out. Wrist pain after a fall that does not settle within a day should be examined, and a normal early X-ray does not rule a fracture out. See a doctor.
Choosing with the limits in mind
Look for a glove that locks onto the wrist with a strap and states its EN 13594 level on the label. Leather Collection's guide to EN 13594 gloves explains how to read the label and what to ask a seller. The store pages we read state no EN 13594 level for its own gloves.
FAQ
Do motorcycle gloves protect the scaphoid?
Some gloves are designed with the scaphoid in mind, such as ones with low-friction palm pads. We found no independent test showing they prevent the fracture.
How do I know if I broke my scaphoid?
Tenderness at the base of the thumb on the back of the wrist is a typical sign, but some fractures cause mild pain. Early X-rays can miss it. A doctor has to confirm it.
Motorcycle Leather Gloves Editorial Team
Motorcycle Leather Gloves articles are researched from published sources, cited in the text, and reviewed before publication.