Extensor carpi radialis longus tendon ball interposition arthroplasty for treatment of late-stage Kienböck’s disease: Short-term results of a novel technique

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate short-term clinical and radiological results of extensor carpi radialis longus (ECRL) tendon ball arthroplasty for treatment of late-stage Kienböck’s disease. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed data of 19 patients suffering from Kienböck’s treated with ECRL tendon ball arthroplasty between December 2014 and December 2016. Patients’ clinical functions were assessed using grip strength, range of motion (ROM) of the wrist, QuickDASH, Mayo wrist score, and visual analog scale score. Radiological examination was performed to assess carpal height ratio and progression of arthritis. Results: The median follow-up was 30 months (range, 12–36 months). At final follow-up, ROM of operated wrist was 71% of the nonoperated side. Thirteen (86.6%) patients were pain free. Carpal height ratio was statistically significantly reduced compared with preoperative values. All patients declared their satisfaction with the results due to their preoperative status. Conclusions: ECRL tendon ball arthroplasty is a new and good option for treatment of late-stage Kienböck’s disease with low complication rate.