Radial closing wedge osteotomy for Kienböck's disease: an over 10 year clinical and radiographic follow-up.

Thirteen patients with Kienböck's disease who had undergone a radial closing wedge osteotomy were reviewed clinically and radiologically at a follow-up mean of 14 years. Good long-term results were obtained in all patients. Their levels of pain were improved, and significant increases were seen in the range of motion and grip strength. Radiographic stage, as assessed by Lichtman's classification, improved in one, did not change in four, and advanced in eight patients. The radial inclination angle significantly decreased and the carpal-ulnar distance and lunate covering ratios both increased, demonstrating that radial shift in the alignment of the carpal bones occurs and that the joint contact area of the lunate increases in proportion to the decrease in radial inclination. The preoperative radiolunate and radioscaphoid angles, which were significantly larger than those of the unaffected wrist, did not change postoperatively which shows that this technique was not able to correct the flexion deformity of the lunate and the scaphoid. Copyright 2002 The British Society for Surgery of the Hand.