Extracompartmental Two-Injection Technique for Treating De Quervain Tenosynovitis

TL;DR

A new injection technique for De Quervain tenosynovitis shows high success rates in reducing pain and improving grip strength without the risks of traditional methods.

Contribution

The extracompartmental two-injection technique is introduced as a safer and effective alternative for treating De Quervain tenosynovitis.

Findings

100% of patients showed significant symptom improvement after treatment.

73% of patients experienced complete symptom resolution.

93% of patients had improved grip strength post-treatment.

Abstract

In this study, we prospectively analyzed patients diagnosed with and treated for De Quervain tenosynovitis (DQT) to evaluate the efficacy of a novel extracompartmental two-injection technique. Fifteen patients completed a Visual Analog Scale for pain, grip strength testing, and physical examination before receiving injections. After four weeks, these same measurements were repeated and compared to baseline. Statistical analysis was conducted using two-tailed t-tests to compare symptoms before and four weeks after treatment, pain associated with each injection, and grip strength before and four weeks after treatment. Results suggest that the extracompartmental two-injection technique led to significant symptom improvement and absent physical exam findings in 100% of patients, complete symptom resolution in 73% of patients, and improved grip strength in 93% of patients with DQT. We describe this reproducible technique to help providers and patients avoid the pain and risks associated with intracompartmental steroid injection while still achieving short-term outcomes comparable to those reported with other injection techniques.

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