Mahakkanukrauh, P., & Mahakkanukrauh, C. (2000). Incidence of a septum in the first dorsal compartment and its effects on therapy of de Quervain's disease. Clin Anat, 13(3), 195-198.

BACKGROUND

De Quervain’s tenosynovitis (de Quervain’s disease) is a repetitive overuse injury affecting two tendons of the thumb, the abductor pollicis longus (APL) and the extensor pollicis brevis (EPB). Tenosynovitis is a problem that develops as a result of a restriction in the free gliding between a tendon and its synovial sheath. These two tendons of the thumb cross over the wrist near the styloid process of the radius in a region that is known as the anatomical snuff box.

For some time it has been known that these tendons frequently develop tenosynovitis because of repetitive hand motions. Anatomical references will show that they share a common tendon sheath and it is therefore suggested that they both are susceptible to this problem of adhesion with the shared tendon sheath.

Yet a number of recent studies including this one have described a separate dividing septum between the two tendons indicating that the EPB, the deeper of the two, actually may exist with its own smaller compartment in many individuals. Not everyone has this septum between the two tendons and it is uncertain how many people actually do have it. However this study found it present in about 77% of cadavers that were investigated. The presence of this septum between the two tendons has significant implications for the various treatments that are performed for de Quervain’s tenosynovitis.

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