Has this happened to anyone and how did it affect your flute playing during recovery and long term? I took a spill on my bike some weeks back and doctors are still trying to decide if I have broken this on my left hand.
Ouch!
Hmmm… well does it hurt when you play?
“Doctor, its hurts when I do this!”
I think think you know the answer. 
Honestly, its about six weeks on average for recovery if there is a fracture and remember its a closed system in there.
If you put enough force in there to break a pretty tough little bone all the surrounding bits probably are in need of a healing too.
You need your left thumb for support (probably less than your right thumb but still) and well… your thumb needs your scaphoid.
Your doctor and physical therapist will be the ones for this question.
Don’t ask us.
We can’t dispense medical advice here.
OK I’ll bite, having both first hand experience (so to speak) and the Anatomy and Physiology experience:
As I’m sure the doctors have told you, Scaphoid breaks typically can’t be accurately diagnosed for several weeks, until after the bone starts to recalcify (if there is a break.) So typically ER docs will diagnose a Fracture when the symptoms and type of accident point to the possibility, and they will send you to a specialist for additional x-rays and evaluation 2-4 weeks after the injury. In the mean time you usually get a lovely Spica Splint/Cast for your troubles.
True Scaphoid breaks are tricky business as the bone has a reverse bloodflow and if fractured often will not heal without surgery. If it doesn’t heal properly the bone can die and you are screwed for life…
The good news is that often, if a fracture doesn’t show on initial X-ray at the ER, you may not have a fracture even though your wrist feels very broken. This is what happened to me in May of '08.
Most important thing for now is do exactly what the docs have suggested and don’t take any risks with the hand in question until a Scaphoid break is completely ruled out by further x-rays.
In my case, it was 4-5 weeks wearing a spica cast before I got the all clear (no break after all), and then it took about 5 months of rehab before my left wrist was back to normal. I could play flute a little about a week after getting the cast off, but to be honest it was another 5 months or so before my wrist was back to normal. I have an unusual job though, so your recovery could be very different.
I was also injured in a bike accident, btw.
Hang in there, you’ll be back to flute playing with little or know problems, but it may take a while.
Loren
Thanks for the info, Loren. As it turns out I had an MRI almost 3 weeks after the accident and it isn’t the sacphoid, but there is a slight crack in the trapezium. The doctor said this is much better news and my hand is much better. Thanks all, I just wanted to brace myself if I wasn’t going to ever be able to play the flute again, which isn’t the case.