[Long-term results of 9 cases of elongation of the ulna in treatment of Kienböck's disease]

Kienböck's disease: A rare wrist disorder in a young male

Kienböck's disease is a rare disorder involving the lunate, one of the carpal bones, and is, therefore, not commonly included in the differential diagnosis of patients presenting to the emergency department with wrist pain. Delay in diagnosis inevitably leads to disease progression, thereby reducing surgical options. This article presents a patient's case including patient history, differential diagnosis, radiographic findings, and management. The challenges in the diagnosis of this disease are discussed in relation to significance to clinical practice for nurse practitioners and emergency department physicians.

Treatment of advanced-stage Kienböck's disease with proximal row carpectomy: an average 15-year follow-up

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the long-term clinical results of a proximal row carpectomy with an average 15-year follow-up for the primary treatment of advanced-stage (Lichtman IIIA and IIIB) Kienböck's disease. This study is a follow-up to a paper by the senior author in a similar cohort of patients where the clinical results of a proximal row carpectomy were evaluated for the treatment of advanced-stage Kienböck's disease at an average 3-year follow-up.

METHODS

Seventeen patients with a minimum of 10 years of follow-up were identified who met criteria for inclusion. Thirteen of these patients were located and agreed to participate. Patients were seen, examined, and queried regarding their wrists. Range of motion, grip strength, and subjective patient satisfaction were all obtained and quantified using a clinical outcomes scale.

RESULTS

Twelve of 13 patients demonstrated excellent or good results based on the clinical outcomes scale used (5 excellent, 7 good, 1 fair, and none poor). Total arc of motion averaged 73% of the uninvolved side. Grip strength averaged 92% of the uninvolved side. Compared with preoperative values, range of motion improved an average of 16% and grip strength improved an average of 129%, an overall average improvement of 12 degrees and 18 kg, respectively. At the most recent follow-up, all patients remained employed. Seven patients held manual labor positions, 2 were nurses, and 4 were employed in sedentary vocations. All patients demonstrated some degree of degenerative changes, usually localized to the radiocapitate articulation in the lunate fossa. Clinical results did not correlate with radiographic degeneration.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrates proximal row carpectomy to be a reliable motion-preserving procedure with good clinical results maintained out to an average of 15 years postoperatively.

Kienböck’s disease

Kienböck’s disease is a form of osteonecrosis affecting the lunate. Its aetiology remains unknown. Morphological variations, such as negative ulnar variance, high uncovering of the lunate, abnormal radial inclination and/or a trapezoidal shape of the lunate and the particular pattern of its vascularity may be predisposing factors. A history of trauma is common. The diagnosis is made on plain radiographs, but MRI can be helpful early in the disease. A CT scan is useful to demonstrate fracture or fragmentation of the lunate. Lichtman classified Kienböck disease into five stages. The natural history of the condition is not well known, and the symptoms do not correlate well with the changes in shape of the lunate and the degree of carpal collapse. There is no strong evidence to support any particular form of treatment. Many patients are improved by temporary immobilisation of the wrist, which does not stop the progression of carpal collapse. Radial shortening may be the treatment of choice in young symptomatic patients presenting with stages I to III-A of Kienböck’s disease and negative ulnar variance. Many other forms of surgical treatment have been described.