I am also seeing more and more mothers with this condition that are breast feeding and holding their wrist in an awkward position while cupping the breast.Īs with many disorders of the hand and wrist, De Quervain’s Stenosing Tenosynovitis is commonly caused by repetitive use, trauma, or any other process that can cause inflammation. Mommy thumb usually develops after delivery over the first year of the newborn’s life from forceful or repetitive grasping of the infant while lifting the infant up or frequently carrying the infant. Usually these conditions resolve after pregnancy as swelling subsides. The most common condition affecting the hand and wrist during pregnancy is carpal tunnel syndrome.
Mommy thumb may develop in the last trimester of pregnancy when mothers typically retain fluid which can lead to swelling within compartments in the hand and wrist. Recently, this condition has been showing up more and more in mothers with newborns and is now being called “Mommy Thumb”.
In recent years with the development of PDA’s or small electronic devices that allow frequent data input in the palm of the hand for texting or emails, this condition has been referred to as “Blackberry Thumb”. De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis occurs when the lining of this sheath thickens, constricting the tendons.įor decades people have been afflicted with this condition, known as de Quervain’s tendonitis. With repetitive use of the thumb or in some cases a specific injury, an increase in inflammatory tissue develops which reduces the space within this compartment leading to an increase in tendon friction which causes pain. As these tendons move into the wrist they pass through a tunnel called the first dorsal compartment. The extensor pollicis brevis and the abductor pollicis longus tendons assist in pulling the thumb away from the palm. The synovium is a thin, slippery layer of soft tissue that covers the tendons allowing then to easily glide through the fibrous tendon sheath. Tendons are thick, rope-like structures that connect bone to muscles to allow movement. These tendons are covered by tissue, tenosynovium, that bathes the tendon with a lubricant that facilitates gliding of the tendon through this tight space. There are tendons that run along the thumb side of the wrist that course through a small compartment adjacent to the forearm bone, radius, that function by extending or pulling the thumb outward. What is Mommy Thumb (de Quervain’s Stenosing Tenosynovitis)?