Kienböck’s Disease and Ulnar Variance

Abstract

Although positive ulnar variance in Kienbock’s disease is rare in Europe and the USA, it occurs frequently in Japan. To clarify whether Kienbock’s disease with positive ulnar variance in Japan is different clinically than Kienbock’s with zero or negative ulnar variance, 39 patients with positive ulnar variance were compared to 81 patients with zero or negative variance. The sex and age distribution, roent-genographic findings, and the results of 99mTc scintigraphy and MRI in patients with positive ulnar variance were found to be identical to those in patients with zero or negative variance. Therefore, Kienbock’s disease with positive variance appears to be the same clinical entity as Kienbock’s disease with zero or negative variance. These results indicate that negative ulnar variance is not a dominant predisposing factor for this disease.