The surgical treatment of Kienböck's disease

A long term follow up of thirty two patients operated on for Kienböck's disease of the semilunar bone at the Istituto Ortopedico Toscano in the last twenty eight years has been carried out. Three types of operation were performed; excision of the semilunar, lengthening of the ulna, and shortening of the radius. The best results were obtained from shortening the radius. Good results were also obtained in cases in which there was no preoperative relative shortening of the ulna at the inferior radio-ulnar joint.