Orthopedics Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Orthopedics, including details on chronic injuries, muscoskeletal disorders, surgery, reconstruction.

Otto W. Madelung and the recognition of Madelung's deformity.

Arora AS, Chung KC

University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.

Madelung's deformity is an uncommon congenital condition of the wrist usually seen in adolescent girls. It first was documented in the 1800s and is characterized by a shortened radius that curves ulnarly and volarly, a prominent ulna head that projects dorsally from the wrist, and a triangular arrangement of the carpal bones. It is mostly an aesthetic deformity although functional problems and pain may prompt surgeons to undertake a variety of corrective surgical procedures with varying degrees of success. This challenging condition is encountered rarely in a hand surgeon's practice. Even more obscure than the condition is the physician it is named after: Otto Wilhelm Madelung, a distinguished and successful German surgeon who lived at the turn of the century. This article provides a historical perspective on the person and the condition that is still an enigma a century later.

Published 13 February 2006 in J Hand Surg [Am], 31(2): 177-82.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2005-2008 Orthopedics Research Today. All Rights Reserved.