Clin Orthop Surg.  2011 Jun;3(2):167-169. 10.4055/cios.2011.3.2.167.

Spontaneous Rupture of the Extensor Pollicis Longus Tendon in a Tailor

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Bundang Jesaeng General Hospital, Daejin Medical Center, Seongnam, Korea. w00wa@dmc.or.kr

Abstract

A spontaneous rupture of the extensor pollicis longus (EPL) tendon is associated with rheumatoid arthritis, fractures of the wrist, systemic or local steroids and repetitive, and excessive abnormal motion of the wrist joint. The authors encountered a case of a spontaneous rupture of the EPL tendon. The patient had no predisposing factors including trauma or steroid injection. Although the patient had a positive rheumatoid factor, he did not demonstrate other clinical or radiological findings of rheumatoid arthritis. During surgery, the EPL tendon was found to be ruptured at the extensor retinaculum (third compartment). Reconstruction of the extensor tendon using the palmaris longus tendon was performed. At the 18-month follow-up, the patient showed satisfactory extension of the thumb and 40degrees extension and flexion at the wrist.

Keyword

Extensor pollicis longus; Tendon rupture; Spontaneous

MeSH Terms

Adult
Cumulative Trauma Disorders/*complications
Humans
Male
Occupational Diseases/*complications
Rupture/etiology/surgery
Tendon Injuries/*etiology/*surgery

Figure

  • Fig. 1 Extensor pollicis longus tendon rupture was identified at the wrist. The thickness of the ruptured tendon was unaffected at the distal end but decreased at the proximal end. Inflammation was not observed in the adjacent tissues.


Cited by  3 articles

A case of extensor pollicis longus (EPL) tendon rupture in an automotive assembly line worker: an ergonomic evaluation through job strain index (JSI) and musculoskeletal risk factor survey
Sunwook Park, Jungwon Kim
Ann Occup Environ Med. 2019;31(1):.    doi: 10.35371/aoem.2019.31.e2.

Idiopathic Rupture of the Extensor Pollicis Longus Tendon due to Carpometacarpal Joint Arthritis of the Thumb: A Case Report
Sang Ki Lee, Su Min Kim, Won Sik Choy
Arch Hand Microsurg. 2018;23(2):93-98.    doi: 10.12790/ahm.2018.23.2.93.

Spontaneous Rupture of the Extensor Pollicis Longus Tendon in a Rhythm Gamer: A Case Report
Seokwon Yang, Sung-Hyun Yoon, Sung-Hyun Kim, Soon-Min Kwon, Jong-Pil Kim
Arch Hand Microsurg. 2019;24(1):63-67.    doi: 10.12790/ahm.2019.24.1.63.


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