Tendovaginitis

Information

Tendovaginitis is inflammation of tendon within the borders of tendon sheaths. There are also purulent (bacterial) tendovaginitis, allergic, rheumatoid, etc. Special attention is paid to the effect of traumas and microtraumatization at labour conditions.

One of the most frequent forms of tendovaginitis in the hand area is the lesion of De Quervain, described in 1895 as “laundresses lesion”. Very often it is noticed in young mothers, who at supporting the baby’s head, place the thumb muscles at conditions of prolonged tension. There is pain in the basis of the thumb, along its back side, and its motions as well as the some motions of the wrist are painful. In the beginning, the treatment is non-operative and includes rest, avoiding pain-provoking motions, anti-inflammatory medicines, splinting of wrist, physical therapy. 

If these therapeutic methods appeares to be ineffective, then surgical intervention is undertaken. In the hand region, other frequent form of tendovaginitis is the so called "throbbing finger". In it, the finger flexors, most often the third, fourth or the thumb, pass difficulty through a narrowed region of their course. The finger flexes freely and comparatively normal, but should be extended by the help of the other hand, when the acoustic phenomenon of throbbing is heard too. Usually it passes with insignificant pain. In the region of palm, along the affected tendon, a small lump may be palpated. It concerns a change in the tendon structure of the palm region, which is most frequent in women at or around menopause, in diabetes and some inflammatory lesions.

It is interesting to note that congenital form may be observed too, in which the thumb is affected. Most often, the mother notices first that the thumb of the suckling baby is permanently flexed by the finite joint and the child can not extend it actively i.e. the finger is at permanent stuck position. The status should be corrected surgically in time so that the grasping function of the affected hand to be not delayed.