Radial wedge osteotomy for Kienböck disease

A radial wedge osteotomy, with reduction of the inclination angle of the distal part of the radius, was performed in twenty-seven patients who had Kienböck disease. After two to five years of follow-up, all of the patients were free of pain or had only mild pain in the wrist with strenuous activity. Flexion-extension of the wrist improved by more than 10 degrees in about half of the patients, and in most of the patients the grip strength increased by five kilograms or more. All but two of the postoperative results were satisfactory, as evaluated by the criteria of Lichtman et al. The osteotomy was effective even in patients who had zero or positive ulnar variance.