For De Quervain tenosynovitis, which test is commonly used to confirm the diagnosis?

For De Quervain tenosynovitis, which test is commonly used to confirm the diagnosis?

• A. Finkelstein test
• B. Phalen maneuver
• C. Tinel sign
• D. Faber test

Answer: (A)

De Quervain tenosynovitis involves inflammation of the first dorsal wrist compartment tendons, the abductor pollicis longus and extensor pollicis brevis. The test that best confirms this condition directly stresses those tendons: you have the patient tuck the thumb into a fist and then tilt the wrist toward the little finger side (ulnar deviation). If this maneuver provokes sharp pain along the radial wrist where the first compartment lies, it strongly supports the diagnosis. This test is practical because it targets the exact tendons involved, making it a reliable bedside diagnostic tool. Other maneuvers like the Phalen maneuver and Tinel sign are designed to provoke symptoms from median nerve compression (carpal tunnel) and are not specific to De Quervain. The Faber test relates to hip and sacroiliac pathology, not the wrist. If the clinical picture is clear, imaging isn’t always needed, though ultrasound or MRI can be used to confirm tendon sheath inflammation if uncertainty remains.

De Quervain tenosynovitis involves inflammation of the first dorsal wrist compartment tendons, the abductor pollicis longus and extensor pollicis brevis. The test that best confirms this condition directly stresses those tendons: you have the patient tuck the thumb into a fist and then tilt the wrist toward the little finger side (ulnar deviation). If this maneuver provokes sharp pain along the radial wrist where the first compartment lies, it strongly supports the diagnosis.

This test is practical because it targets the exact tendons involved, making it a reliable bedside diagnostic tool. Other maneuvers like the Phalen maneuver and Tinel sign are designed to provoke symptoms from median nerve compression (carpal tunnel) and are not specific to De Quervain. The Faber test relates to hip and sacroiliac pathology, not the wrist. If the clinical picture is clear, imaging isn’t always needed, though ultrasound or MRI can be used to confirm tendon sheath inflammation if uncertainty remains.