A rare osteonecrosis Kienböck's disease potentially linked to COVID-19: a case report.
Hatice Ceylan
✦ AI-curated · Sources linked
Case in brief
A 50-year-old woman developed progressive left wrist pain without trauma approximately 12 weeks after recovering from PCR-confirmed COVID-19 pneumonia. She had no comorbidities or prior corticosteroid exposure. Imaging showed avascular necrosis of the lunate, consistent with Kienböck’s disease. Despite autologous cytokine-rich serum injections and pharmacological pain management, the disease progressed, and she underwent lunate excision with bone grafting.
What made this case unusual
The report describes Kienböck’s disease arising after COVID-19 infection, an association the authors considered potentially relevant; the patient had no prior corticosteroid exposure.
Diagnostic / clinical pearl
Progressive atraumatic wrist pain after COVID-19 warrants assessment for lunate avascular necrosis when clinically indicated; imaging established the diagnosis in this case.