Anatomical study of De Quervain's disease

ABSTRACT

The results of dissecting 100 wrists of 50 cadavers were analyzed. There were 45 males and 5 females, all were adult wrists. Dissection of the osteofibrous canal, over the radial region of wrist stressing only on anatomical structures of the 1st dorsal compartment, which formed the anatomical bases of de Quervain's disease. The results showed that the superficial radial nerve was bifurcated in 88% and single in 22%, common synovial sheath was evident in 62%. The osteofibrous groove was single in 64% and duplicated in 36% of cases. The abductor pollicis longus tendon was more than one in 80%, and one tendon in 20% of wrists. The extensor pollicis brevis tendon was never duplicated; what is regarded as normal in the text books of anatomy should be regarded as the exception and not the rules