AGED-ONSET KIENBOCKS DISEASE

Kienböck's disease with onset after 50 years of age was studied. Of 127 patients with Kineböck's disease seen over the past 30 years, the cases of 15 (12 female, 3 male) were analyzed. The average age of onset was 58.3 years. Five specimens were obtained operatively in which necrosis of the lunate bone mixed with empty lacunae was identified, as was bony remodelling. Ulnar variance in the aged diseased group (group A) was smaller than that of the aged control group (group C). Moreover, it was noteworthy that the variance among aged controls (group C) was higher than among the young controls (group D). The metacarpal index of the patients with aged-onset Kienböck's disease was markedly lower than that of the young. Considering the increase of ulnar variance with age, the persistence of minus variance and the presence of osteoporosis might make the lunate bone susceptible to injury. © 1990 Springer-Verlag.