If a young teen-ager has Kienbock’s disease, is he treated the same, with the same kind of surgery as an adult?

Keinbock’s disease, a disorder where the lunate bone in the wrist is deprived of blood, causing bone cell death, rarely happens in children and teens, although it does from time to time. Because it is rare in children, doctors don’t have specific guidelines for treated the disorder in that population.

The latest research is showing that a procedure called the temporary scaphotrapezoidal joint fixation, using pins to fix the joint firmly in place, has excellent results in treating younger people with Kienbrock’s. Of course, many physicians may want to treat the disorder conservatively first, using splints or casts, to see if they can avoid surgery.