Radiological characteristics of Kienböck’s disease in the Korean population

Purpose: In Kienböck’s disease, the wrist displays certain characteristic radiological parameters, which have been reported to differ among countries. In the present study, we aimed to identify specific radiological parameters of the unaffected wrists in patients with unilateral Kienböck’s disease and to determine the extent of the association of each parameter with the disease in Korea.Methods: This retrospective case–control study assessed the radiological parameters of patients with Kienböck’s disease ( n = 53) and controls ( n = 53), who visited our institution between January 2000 and May 2013. Ulnar variance (UV), radial inclination, lunate fossa inclination, lunate diameter, lunate height, lunate tilting angle (LTA), lunate covering index (LCI), and Ståhl index (SI) were measured and analyzed using a binary logistic regression model.Results: We observed that wrists with a high LTA and LCI, and low UV and SI had a tendency to develop Kienböck’s disease.Conclusion: In the Korean population, a high LTA and LCI, and low UV and SI of the unaffected wrists on plain radiography might be associated with Kienböck’s disease. The radiographic characteristics of the unaffected wrists can differ between patients with unilateral Kienböck’s disease and normal individuals.