Symptomatic restrictive thumb-index flexor tenosynovitis: incidence of

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musculotendinous anomalies and results of treatment. Lombardi-R-M. Wood-M-B. Linscheid-R-L. Department of Orthopedics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn 55905. J-Hand-Surg-[Am]. 1988 May. 13(3). P 325-8. During a 5-year period, 33 patients with pain in the palmar aspect of the wrist and forearm with and without features of carpal tunnel syndrome were diagnosed as having restrictive thumb-index flexor tenosynovitis. The pathognomonic sign in this condition was the simultaneous flexion of the index finger with active flexion of the thumb across the palm. Treatment included either steroid [m injection into the [1mtendon [m sheath of the flexor pollicis longus or surgical exploration of the palmar aspect of the distal forearm and wrist region. Twenty-six wrists in 24 patients were surgically explored, and all had hypertrophic tenosynovium between the flexor pollicis longus and index profundus tendons. More than half of the explored wrists had a tendinous connection between the flexor pollicis longus and the flexor profundus of the index digit. Of 17 wrists with follow-up of more than 6 months, 13 were improved by surgical management. Steroid [m injection did not have a long-term effect.