Tenosynovitis Intro

• Tenosynovitis:

  • Inflammation and/or degeneration of the synovial tendon sheath
  • can be an inflammatory problem - reactive
  • can be a constrictive problem - stenosing
  • many different types in the hand and wrist
  • focus is on intersection syndrome
• Stenosing Tenosynovitis Pathology:

  1. synovial tendon sheath becomes inflamed secondary to overload
  2. inflammation continues, sheath swells due to oedema
  3. passageway of the tendon beneath pulley and ligament becomes narrow
  4. interferes with smooth gliding of the tendon
  5. results in friction = increasing pain and can add to the cycle of inflammatory changes