Insidious onset of wrist pain in a young male: Case report and a brief review of the literature

Abstract

In this report we present the case of a 25-year-old man with an insidious onset of wrist pain. The pain was constant and appeared to be work related where, as a packaging operator, the patient's wrist was exposed to repetitive trauma. Imaging studies revealed an avascular necrosis (AVN) of the capitate bone. The avascular necrosis (AVN) of the capitate is a rare finding with less than 20 cases having been reported in the literature thus far. There may be a multitude of causes for the development of this condition; however, minor repetitive trauma appears to be one of the most common reasons for the development of AVN.