HISTOPATHOLOGY OF KIENBOCKS-DISEASE - CORRELATION WITH MAGNETIC-RESONANCE AND OTHER IMAGING TECHNIQUES

Histopathological studies of extracted whole lunate bones obtained fro m 10 patients with Stage 3 Kienbock's disease at surgery for tendon-ba ll replacement were correlated with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT) and tomography images made prior to surgery, A reforming zone, or a reactive interface between the reactive new bon e and granulation tissue formation, and new vascularization were obser ved surrounding the bone necrosis area showing empty lacunae, fatty ne crosis, and disappearance of osteoid, Findings of CT, tomography and m icroradiography of slices of extracted lunate bone confirmed that frac tures of the articular cartilage and the subchondral bone occurred sec ondarily by overloading, and showed the extent of the collapsed area o f the lunate, MRI showed complete loss of signal intensity in T1 image s of the lesion of the lunate in advanced Stage 3 Kienbock's disease, MRI is at present unable to distinguish bone necrosis, the histologica l reactive interface or surrounding hyperaemia in detail, However, the low-intensity are, or the reactive interface present on MRI in early Stage 3, sometimes correlates with the histological findings of osteoi d and granulation zones.