Tenosynovitis of hand: Causes and complications

Abstract

Tenosynovitis represents a common clinical condition characterized by inflammation of the synovium that encases the tendon sheath. Although tenosynovities may be noted in any tendon in the body, extremities such as hand, and foot remain the sites of high predilection to acquire this condition. The predominant cause of this predilection rests in the intricate tendon arrangements in these extremities that permit fine motor actions. This editorial explores the common causes and the complications associated with this condition to improve the understanding of the readers of this common condition encountered in our everyday clinical practice.

Keywords: Tenosynovitis; Gout; Hand; Complications; Infection

Core tip: Hand tenosynovitis can be due to either infective or non-infective reasons such as idiopathic, overuse, and autoimmune reasons. Although infective tenosynovitis is usually due to traumatic insults, systemic reasons do exist. Similarly, among the non-infective causes, apart from the autoimmune and overuse causes, idiopathic tenosynovitis also contributes to its etiology. The common complications encountered with this condition depend on the cause, where infective tenosynovitis may result in stiffness, adhesion, deformity, and further spread of infection to deeper structures, and non-infective tenosynovitis results in stenosing tenosynovitis that presents with contractures all of which necessitates surgical management.