Madelung, deformity

Wrist anomaly characterized by a short and curved radius and a long ulna, causing posterior subluxation of the end of the ulna, and thus pain and limitation of the movements of the wrist and elbow. This deformity is more common among girls and is detected at clinical examination in childhood or early adolescence.

Causes of the deformation may be:

-        traumatic: premature fusion of the epiphysis of radius

-        dysplastic: nail-patella syndrome

-        genetic: dyschondrosteosis-nephropathy-brachydactyly type C

If the deformity is bilateral, one can suspect a Leri-Weill syndrome or, more rarely, a Turner syndrome (see these terms).

Treatment: wrists splints; sometimes osteotomy of the ulna and the radius.


Anesthetic implications:

elective surgery of the upper limb. In this case of dysplastic or genetic form,  take the associated anomalies into account.


References : 


Updated: January 2019