Specifically, Kienböck's disease is another name for avascular necrosis[2] (death and fracture of bone tissue due to interruption of blood supply) with fragmentation and collapse of the lunate.

This has classically been attributed to arterial disruption, but may also occur after events that produce venous congestion with elevated interosseous pressure.

[3] Studies have found a correlation between having Kienböck's and Western European ancestry, but no definitive link can be positively confirmed[citation needed].

[citation needed] Kienböck's disease is classified as a "rare disorder," meaning that it affects fewer than 200,000 people in the U.S.

[citation needed] No matter what the disease's stage of progression, there is no one best treatment, and the decision is often based partially, or even mostly, on incidental factors such as the patient's pain tolerance, the patient's desire to return to active use of the hand (such as in manual occupations), and the surgeon's level of expertise with different treatments.

[8] One conservative treatment option would be using an Ultrasound Bone Stimulator, which uses low-intensity pulsed ultrasound to increase vascular endothelial growth factor (VEG-F) and increase blood flow to the bone.Some Kienböck's patients present with an abnormally large difference in length between the radius and the ulna, termed "ulnar variance", which is hypothesized to cause undue pressure on the lunate, contributing to its avascularity.

In this procedure, the radius (the lateral long bone) is shortened by a given length, usually between 2 and 5 mm, to relieve the pressure on the dying lunate.

Depending on the surgeon, the procedure may be performed the same way as the radial shortening where a small section is removed, or the entire top of the ulna may be excised.

For instance, some patients have had casting, bone graft, radial shortening, proximal row carpectomy, and wrist fusion, all on the same hand.