De quervain's tenosynovitis - A detailed study
De Quervain's tenosynovitis is an inflammation of the tendons that run along the thumb side of the wrist and connect to the base of the thumb. This happens when the tendons are restricted by the sheath that they pass through to get from the wrist to the palm. This medical condition is named after Swiss surgeon Fritz de Quervain, who initially diagnosed it in 1895. Tendons are rope-like structures that connect muscle and bone, allowing the muscle to pull and move the bone. Tendons are protected soft tissue covering known as synovium. This layer nourishes the tendons and allows them to move freely through the sheath that surrounds them. Any swelling of the tendons and/or thickening of the sheath may cause the tendons to no longer fit properly inside the sheath. De Quervain's tenosynovitis affects both the abductor pollicis longus (APL) and extensor pollicis brevis (EPB) tendons. These are two of the thumb's primary tendons that help move the thumb away from the index finger ...