An operative procedure for advanced Kienböck's disease. Excision of the lunate and subsequent replacement with a tendon-ball implant.

Excision of the lunate and subsequent replacement with a tendon implant was performed in 22 patients with Kienböck's disease between 1971 and 1985. This procedure was indicated mainly for those with advanced Kienböck's disease, i.e., stage III or IV according to the Lichtman classification. After the collapsed lunate is removed, a tendon-ball implant, made of the palmaris longus and plantaris tendons is placed in the resultant space in the carpus. A forearm distractor is applied during the operation, and distraction is continued for 4 weeks postoperatively. We report the long-term results in 15 patients, whose average follow-up period was 16 years and 3 months. One patient with infection was excluded from the study because the implanted tendon was removed 2 weeks after the operation, and 6 patients were lost to follow-up. All patients were free of pain after the surgery. The flexion-extension range of the wrist increased by 14.2 degrees, on average, after the surgery. The average grip power of the operated hand was 90.2% of that in the non-operated hand. Calcification and ossification were frequent in the implanted tendons a few months postoperatively. The average carpal height ratio (defined as carpal height/length of the third metacarpal) was 0.53 before the operation and 0.49 at the time of follow-up. According to Dornan's classification of clinical results, 9 of the 15 patients were classified as having excellent results and 6 as good.