Madelung Deformity: Diagnosis and Treatment Options

Madelung deformity (MD) comprises an increased volar and ulnar tilt of the joint facet of the distal radius, secondary to an idiopathic physeal dysplasia. Such change causes radial shortening and consequent distal ulnar prominence, along with wrist pain and loss of motion. Surgery becomes an option in patients with severe deformity that do not respond to conservative treatment. The classic surgical techniques are problematic for adults, as they are specific for children and adolescents, whose radial physis is still open. Very few papers discuss the treatment of adult patients; furthermore, most are focused on the distal radioulnar joint, and thus do not approach the origin of the pathology. When analyzing computed tomography scans with tridimensional reconstruction, a feature of MD, growth arrest of the volar and ulnar portions of the distal radius, is noted, causing the typical distal radius deformity that leads to lack of coverage of the lunate bone. That leads to palmar subluxation of the lunate bone and consequent radiocarpal instability. We herein describe the possibilities of treatment in different stages of evolution, summarizing the authors' view on MD.