Three cases of the carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) associated with Kienböck disease are reported: Case 1, a 55-year-old woman, Case 2, a 34-year-old man, and Case 3, a 71-year-woman. Case 1 and case 2 showed the regional hypesthesia of the fingers and case 3 had the atrophy of the thenar eminence with loss of the opposition of the thumb. In all cases symptoms of the Kienböck disease were not serious. X-rays, however, showed the progressive stage, which was characterized by the sclerosis and collapse and fragmentation of the lunate bone and the intercarpal and radiocarpal arthrosis. Especially the volar projection of the fragment of the lunate and the spur of the volar lip of the radius were marked.
The loss of capacity of the carpal tunnel and the flexor tenosynovitis would produce the CTS. The restricted movement of the wrist and the pain, however, may result in the dysfunction of the hand and then decrease of the flexor tenosynovitis. This probably will cause the low incidence of the CTS associated with the Kienböck disease.
