Wrist Tendonitis

Tenosynovitis is an inflammatory condition in which the sheath in which a tendon glides becomes painful and thickened.  Most patients will complain of sharp pain with sudden movements.  The most common type is called De Quervain’s tenosynovitis and this produces symptoms of sharp pain in the wrist at the base of the thumb.  It is common in women with small infants for some reason, probably because of the manner in which they lift the child.  Most are successfully treated with corticosteroid injection into the tendon sheath to relieve the inflammation. Refractory cases require release of the tendon sheath surgically which is done as a 20 minute outpatient procedure.