My cousin had Kienbock’s disease in the left wrist and had surgery. She said that she had a bone shortened in her wrist. I know the disease means that the bone dies for some reason, but how would shortening help it?

In Kiebock’s disease, the blood supply doesn’t reach a tiny bone in the hand, called the lunate. The bone cells, just as all your other body cells, need the fresh blood to be nourished and stay alive. Without the blood, the cells die and the bone dies. If the disease has progressed, some surgeons do a surgery that shortens the bone, by removing the dead part of the bone. This ensures that the live parts aren’t separated by dead tissue, and allows the blood to flow through.