Ajai Ram V* and Shibu Andrews
De Quervain’s tenosynovitis is a common crippling ailment, which hampers the individual’s ability to use the thumb in one’s activities of daily living and work due to steno sing tenosynovitis of the Abductor Pollicis Longus (APL) and the Extensor Pollicis Brevis (EPB) within the first extensor compartment sheath. The condition inflicts women more common than men, especially in the age group of 30 to 50 years. The condition is diagnosed clinically by the provocative Finkelstein’s test and the disability quantified, making use of the Quick dash Questionnaire and calculating a symptom severity score. The higher the score, the higher, the disability and vice versa. Surgical de roofing becomes the remedy when initial conservative methods and regimens fail and the treatment outcome can be assessed and quantified by the postoperative Quick dash score. The purpose of this prospective observational study is meant to evaluate the treatment outcome of surgical reroofing done for De Quervain’s tenosynovitis in 40 patients, who met the inclusion criteria. The pre-operative and post-operative statuses were assessed and quantified using the Quick dash Questionnaire. Following surgical reroofing, the same tool was used to quantify the severity at definite time intervals during follow up (Day 7, 1 month and 3 months after surgery). The post operative outcomes intermediate and final were assessed and analysed for statistical significance using Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel and statistical software IBM-SPSS (International Business Machines-Statistical Product and Service Solutions), using appropriate statistical tests.
