Anatomical risk factors for Kienböck's disease

Contralateral unaffected wrists from 41 males with Kienböck's disease were compared with wrists from 66 normal males. From X-rays, various features of the lunate and radius were measured. In patients with Kienböck's disease, the lunate tended to be smaller and inclined more radially than in normal subjects and the radial inclination was flatter. Discriminant analysis showed that 85% of the unaffected contralateral wrists in patients with Kienböck's disease and 74% of the wrists in normal subjects were accurately discriminated to their respective groups. It may be possible to identify subjects who are at risk for Kienböck's disease prior to onset using discriminant analysis.