Lateral closing wedge osteotomy for treatment of Kienbock's disease: A clinical and biomechanical study of the optimum correcting angle

A retrospective clinical analysis of 20 patients who underwent a lateral closing wedge osteotomy of the radius as an adjuvant procedure to a radial recession in the treatment of Kienbock's disease is reported. The functional outcome is compared to the results of a simplified two-dimensional articulating force analysis (Rigid Body Spring Model) based on radiographs of the wrist of the same patients taken before and after surgery. At an average follow-up of 39 months, wrist function was excellent in 4 patients, good in 9, moderate in 6, and poor in one patient. A significant positive correlation between functional improvement and percent reduction of the calculated peak pressure at the radiolunate interval was found. This was maximal in patients with wedge osteotomies between 5 and 10 degrees.