The primary symptoms of Kienbock's disease are pain in the wrist and limited wrist motion. Pain may vary from slight discomfort to constant pain. In the early stages there may be pain only during or after heavy activity using the wrist. The pain usually gets slowly worse over many years. The wrist may swell. The area over the back of the wrist near the lunate bone may feel tender. You may not be able to move your wrist as much as normal or grip objects as well.

Patients often have the condition for months or years before seeking treatment. Typically, the patient will report an injury to the wrist in the past or have a history of repetitive heavy use of the wrist. Kienbock's disease most frequently affects men twenty to forty years old. It rarely affects both wrists.