Keinbock's disease is a painful medical condition wherein the lunate bone loses its function due to a lack of blood supply. This absence of blood results in excruciating long-term pain and improper functioning of the bone and the hand.
Kienbock's disease mainly affects individuals between the age group of 20 to 40 years old, and as compared to females, it more often occurs in men. Nevertheless, this condition rarely occurs in both wrists. With passing time, this medical condition results in wrist immobility and arthritis if the patient is not given the right treatment.
Kienbock's disease first causes discomfort. Then, the bone tissue may degenerate as it worsens, resulting in increased discomfort, wrist immobility, and arthritis.
Surgery and other therapies are utilized to reduce discomfort and retain wrist functionality.
An adult human body consists of 206 to 213 bones in total, wherein 27 types of bones are located in hand.
Bones situated in the wrist are divided into three parts: 1. Phalanges 2. Carpal bones 3. Metacarpal bones. A bone called ‘Lunate’ is located between two other bones, known as ‘scaphoid’ and ‘trapezium,’ right under the capitate.
This bone plays a significant role in the movement and provides the joint with crucial support. In addition, it is one of the connecting bones of the hand, which links the hand and the wrist and is pivotal for the proper movement of the hand.
When this bone loses its potential and stops working properly completely due to an inadequate supply of blood, this medical condition is known as Kienbock’s disease.
There is no single cause or factor in particular responsible for kienbock’s disease. Instead, several factors and causes can be responsible for this medical condition, some of which are enlisted below:
The common signs and symptoms of kienbock’s disease include excruciating pain and stiffness. And if you aren't able to provide the disease with immediate medical attention, the condition might also get worse and lead to wrist arthritis.
Given below is a list of the most common signs and symptoms faced by people suffering from Kienbock’s disease:
A vast majority of kienbock’s disease patients try to continue with their lives with this disease until the symptoms worsen and the severity of pain reaches its peak. Patients generally seek medical attention due to unending excruciating wrist pain that has worsened with each day that passes.
As soon as you reach your doctor, they will ask you about the symptoms and severity of the pain in addition to the knowledge regarding how long these symptoms and pain have existed.
And after going through your medical history or history of injuries, the doctor will examine your hand and wrist through some physical tests and an X-ray/MRI.
The signs & symptoms of kienbock’s disease are identical to those of other medical injuries, such as wrist sprain, which makes it difficult to diagnose the medical condition during its early stages. An X-ray might show that everything is normal, whereas an MRI might contradict that result by assessing the blood supply to the lunate. Although, an X-ray is taken again later of the disease, which reveals the damage to the bone.
There are several different surgical procedures to cure kienbock’s disease. Therefore, it is necessary to consider all the factors of the disease before opting for a particular type of surgery. Given below is a list of surgical procedures you can opt for if you’re suffering from this medical condition:
The advancement of kienbock’s disease depends on several factors and varies as per the patient. In general, the development of this disease is slow and takes years. During its developing stage, the inside of the wrist gets affected and starts losing its potential due to unwanted stress and damage inside the wrist.
Stage 1: Blood supply to the lunate bone is lost, but the bone hasn't been affected yet. An X-ray might show that everything is normal underneath, but the MRI reveals the actual underlying problem of a lack of blood supply. The severity of pain during this stage may be mild to moderate, in addition to inflammation and risk of fracture.
Stage 2: The deteriorating condition of the bone is finally revealed through an X-ray during this stage as the bone becomes hard due to the lost blood supply.
Stage 3: The process of fragmentations begins, and the one starts collapsing at this stage.
Stage 4: During this last stage, the lunate bone has completely collapsed and has also damaged the nearby bones.
If you undergo surgery for Kienbock's illness, you will need to keep your wrist immobile for three to four months so that it can heal. A physical therapist can help you get the most out of your wrist through appropriate mobility and wrist-strengthening exercises.
After that, you will go back to the doctor to have the wrist bones checked for healing. You will continue with physical therapy for another three to four months if your wrist recovers properly and does not need any more adjustments. It will assist you in regaining strength and motion in your wrist. You can resume your regular activities after you are pain-free from your Kienbock condition.
Thorough knowledge and diagnosis
Kienbock's disease does not have any specific cause, due to which it is important to diagnose the patient's condition properly and have complete knowledge regarding it.
Proper diagnosis is also necessary because the right treatment method is crucial to cure this disease. Doctors at Cutis consist of complete theoretical knowledge and practical experience in treating this disease. They conduct all mandatory tests to make the diagnosis bias-free and opt for the most suitable treatment method for the patient.
Advance equipment
All kinds of up-to-date equipment are available at Cutis, which helps doctors by making the procedure less complex and quick. Due to these advancements, not only doctors but also patients are able to save their time and other resources. In addition to that, this equipment aids patients by saving their resources and reducing the level of their pain, which helps them recover faster.
Maintenance and aftercare
The staff and maintenance team at Cutis ensures that each machine is cleaned thoroughly with antiseptic liquids so that the infection and viruses of the previous patient aren't transmitted to the next patient through these machines and equipment. In addition, they make sure that disposable things aren't being reused and that garbage disposal is cleared out regularly.
Moreover, proper aftercare is provided to the patient as soon as the treatment is done. For example, a cast/splint is provided, and proper medications are prescribed to avoid the additional effects of the treatment.
No, a specific cause of Kienbock’s disease is yet to be found.
Yes, kienbock’s disease can be treated with injections and antibiotics only when they are diagnosed in its earlier stage.
Yes, surgery becomes inevitable when the disease is not given adequate medical attention during its early stages.
An X-ray does not show the actual condition of the bone during the early stages, and the symptoms are identical to other medical conditions such as a wrist sprain.
The stiffness and the pain in the wrist increase daily, and eventually, the lunate bone dies, resulting in restricted wrist movement.
Precautions such as not lifting heavy weights regularly and avoiding exerting excess pressure on wrists could help prevent the disease.
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