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
Kienbock 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.