Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTypesSymptomsDiagnosisCausesTreatmentPrognosisCoping
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Types
Symptoms
Diagnosis
Causes
Treatment
Prognosis
Coping
If you develop pain in your body that limits normal motion, you may havetenosynovitis, a condition in which atendon and its covering (thesynovial sheath) become inflamed and irritated. Tendons are your body’s structures that connect muscles to bones. The inflammation of the tendon and sheath in tenosynovitis may cause pain, swelling, and limited use of the body part affected.
Where Do People Get Tenosynovitis?
These tendons attach muscles to bones and reside within the synovial fluid, the thick liquid that is between the joints. This synovial sheath allows the tendon to glide and slide normally during use. Irritation of the tendon may cause the common symptoms of tenosynovitis.
This article discusses tenosynovitis, including how it is diagnosed and managed, as well as its prognosis.
athima tongloom/Moment / Getty Images
Types of Tenosynovitis
Tenosynovitis affects between 1.7% to 2.6% of the general population, but the incidence is notably higher in people diagnosed withrheumatoid arthritisordiabetes.There are two main types of tenosynovitis: acute infectious tenosynovitis and noninfectious inflammatory tenosynovitis.
The hand is most often involved with an infectious type.The tendon sheath and tendon become inflamed due to an infection. For example, trauma to a finger or fingers introduces bacteria into the tendon sheath, causing pain and limiting motion.
Tenosynovitis is considered an emergency that requires antibiotics and surgery todebride(remove unhealthy tissue from) the area and ensure thatsepsis(and infection that moves into the bloodstream) does not occur.
More commonly, tenosynovitis is the noninfectious type. It typically results from overuse andrepetitive strainof the affected tendon and presents with signs and symptoms of tendon inflammation. Some studies suggest inflammatory mechanisms are at work with tenosynovitis.
Treatment for Mild to Severely Locked Trigger Finger
Tenosynovitis Symptoms
There are several symptoms of tenosynovitis. They include:
If you suspect you have tenosynovitis, check in with your healthcare provider. They can diagnose your condition so you can get started on the correct treatment.
Diagnosis of tenosynovitis begins with a clinical examination. Your physician will examine the affected body part.Palpation(feeling for swelling and checking for pain) is done on the area. Sometimes, you may feel an internal rubbing sensation as you move the affected tendon. Your physician may also takerange of motionmeasurements.
Healthcare providers may order special diagnostic tests if they suspect you have tenosynovitis. An X-ray may be taken to rule out a bone problem, and anMRI(magnetic resonance imaging) may be done to examine the soft tissue around the tendon.
There are several possible causes of tenosynovitis. These may include:
Sometimes tenosynovitis is classified as idiopathic, meaning no specific cause of the pain and limited motion can be found.
There are many treatment options for tenosynovitis. These may include:
Most episodes of tenosynovitis can be successfully treated with conservative measures. Severe and worsening cases may require surgery, which involves making a small incision near the tendon to relieve pressure and give the tendon more room to glide and slide.
The outlook for people with tenosynovitis is excellent, and most episodes of the condition resolve within six to eight weeks. Some people have tenosynovitis for a few months, but with proper treatment, you can expect to be pain free within a few weeks.
If you know what caused your tenosynovitis, you can work to modify your activities in order to prevent future occurrences. Learning exercises to perform to keep your muscles strong and flexible may also help decrease the risk of future episodes.
Coping with tenosynovitis should not be a problem, as it typically clears within a few weeks of onset. Wearing a brace or performing regular exercises may temporarily be an annoyance, but if you remain steadfast with your treatment regimen, you can likely be clear of any pain or limitations within a few weeks.
Don’t Wait to Seek CareFor most musculoskeletal and tendon problems, early management is often the best course of treatment. So, if you develop signs of tenosynovitis, check in with your healthcare provider to get started on treatment right away.
Don’t Wait to Seek Care
For most musculoskeletal and tendon problems, early management is often the best course of treatment. So, if you develop signs of tenosynovitis, check in with your healthcare provider to get started on treatment right away.
Summary
Tenosynovitis is an inflammatory condition of the tendon and its synovial sheath. It often occurs in the tendons of the fingers and thumb. While most episodes of tenosynovitis are painful, they can be managed effectively with conservative measures like rest, anti-inflammatory medications, and gentle exercise.
Severe cases of tenosynovitis may require more invasive treatments such as cortisone injections or surgery. Speak with your physician about your specific needs if you have tenosynovitis.
A Word From Verywell
Experiencing redness, swelling, and pain from tenosynovitis is uncomfortable and inconvenient. The good news is that tenosynovitis is highly treatable and can clear up in a matter of weeks with proper care. By getting started on proper diagnosis and management of tenosynovitis, you can be sure to quickly return to your previous level of activity.
A Look at Normal and Abnormal Function of Tendons
9 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Blood TD, Morrell NT, Weiss APC.Tenosynovitis of the hand and wrist: a critical analysis review.JBJS Rev. 2016;4(3). doi:10.2106/JBJS.RVW.O.00061Muthu S, Annamalai S, Kandasamy V.Tenosynovitis of hand: Causes and complications.World J Clin Cases. 2024 Feb 6;12(4):671-676. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v12.i4.671.Kennedy CD, Huang JI, Hanel DP.In brief: kanavel’s signs and pyogenic flexor tenosynovitis.Clinical Orthopaedics & Related Research. 2016;474(1):280-284. doi:10.1007/s11999-015-4367-xLin C, Jiang Z, Cao L, Zou H, Zhu X.Role of NLRP3 inflammasome in systemic sclerosis.Arthritis Res Ther. 2022 Aug 16;24(1):196. doi:10.1186/s13075-022-02889-5.Blood TD, Morrell NT, Weiss APC.Tenosynovitis of the hand and wrist: a critical analysis review.JBJS Rev. 2016;4(3). doi:10.2106/JBJS.RVW.O.00061Merck Manual Professional Version.Tendinitis and Tenosynovitis.Giladi AM, Malay S, Chung KC.A systematic review of the management of acute pyogenic flexor tenosynovitis.J Hand Surg Eur Vol. 2015;40(7):720-728. doi:10.1177/1753193415570248Xie P, Zhang Q hao, Zheng G zhou, et al.Stenosing tenosynovitis: Evaluation of percutaneous release with a specially designed needle vs. open surgery.Orthopäde. 2019;48(3):202-206. doi:10.1007/s00132-018-03676-4Ippolito JA, Hauser S, Patel J, Vosbikian M, Ahmed I.Nonsurgical treatment of de quervain tenosynovitis: a prospective randomized trial.Hand (New York, N,Y). 2020;15(2):215-219. doi:10.1177/1558944718791187
9 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Blood TD, Morrell NT, Weiss APC.Tenosynovitis of the hand and wrist: a critical analysis review.JBJS Rev. 2016;4(3). doi:10.2106/JBJS.RVW.O.00061Muthu S, Annamalai S, Kandasamy V.Tenosynovitis of hand: Causes and complications.World J Clin Cases. 2024 Feb 6;12(4):671-676. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v12.i4.671.Kennedy CD, Huang JI, Hanel DP.In brief: kanavel’s signs and pyogenic flexor tenosynovitis.Clinical Orthopaedics & Related Research. 2016;474(1):280-284. doi:10.1007/s11999-015-4367-xLin C, Jiang Z, Cao L, Zou H, Zhu X.Role of NLRP3 inflammasome in systemic sclerosis.Arthritis Res Ther. 2022 Aug 16;24(1):196. doi:10.1186/s13075-022-02889-5.Blood TD, Morrell NT, Weiss APC.Tenosynovitis of the hand and wrist: a critical analysis review.JBJS Rev. 2016;4(3). doi:10.2106/JBJS.RVW.O.00061Merck Manual Professional Version.Tendinitis and Tenosynovitis.Giladi AM, Malay S, Chung KC.A systematic review of the management of acute pyogenic flexor tenosynovitis.J Hand Surg Eur Vol. 2015;40(7):720-728. doi:10.1177/1753193415570248Xie P, Zhang Q hao, Zheng G zhou, et al.Stenosing tenosynovitis: Evaluation of percutaneous release with a specially designed needle vs. open surgery.Orthopäde. 2019;48(3):202-206. doi:10.1007/s00132-018-03676-4Ippolito JA, Hauser S, Patel J, Vosbikian M, Ahmed I.Nonsurgical treatment of de quervain tenosynovitis: a prospective randomized trial.Hand (New York, N,Y). 2020;15(2):215-219. doi:10.1177/1558944718791187
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Blood TD, Morrell NT, Weiss APC.Tenosynovitis of the hand and wrist: a critical analysis review.JBJS Rev. 2016;4(3). doi:10.2106/JBJS.RVW.O.00061Muthu S, Annamalai S, Kandasamy V.Tenosynovitis of hand: Causes and complications.World J Clin Cases. 2024 Feb 6;12(4):671-676. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v12.i4.671.Kennedy CD, Huang JI, Hanel DP.In brief: kanavel’s signs and pyogenic flexor tenosynovitis.Clinical Orthopaedics & Related Research. 2016;474(1):280-284. doi:10.1007/s11999-015-4367-xLin C, Jiang Z, Cao L, Zou H, Zhu X.Role of NLRP3 inflammasome in systemic sclerosis.Arthritis Res Ther. 2022 Aug 16;24(1):196. doi:10.1186/s13075-022-02889-5.Blood TD, Morrell NT, Weiss APC.Tenosynovitis of the hand and wrist: a critical analysis review.JBJS Rev. 2016;4(3). doi:10.2106/JBJS.RVW.O.00061Merck Manual Professional Version.Tendinitis and Tenosynovitis.Giladi AM, Malay S, Chung KC.A systematic review of the management of acute pyogenic flexor tenosynovitis.J Hand Surg Eur Vol. 2015;40(7):720-728. doi:10.1177/1753193415570248Xie P, Zhang Q hao, Zheng G zhou, et al.Stenosing tenosynovitis: Evaluation of percutaneous release with a specially designed needle vs. open surgery.Orthopäde. 2019;48(3):202-206. doi:10.1007/s00132-018-03676-4Ippolito JA, Hauser S, Patel J, Vosbikian M, Ahmed I.Nonsurgical treatment of de quervain tenosynovitis: a prospective randomized trial.Hand (New York, N,Y). 2020;15(2):215-219. doi:10.1177/1558944718791187
Blood TD, Morrell NT, Weiss APC.Tenosynovitis of the hand and wrist: a critical analysis review.JBJS Rev. 2016;4(3). doi:10.2106/JBJS.RVW.O.00061
Muthu S, Annamalai S, Kandasamy V.Tenosynovitis of hand: Causes and complications.World J Clin Cases. 2024 Feb 6;12(4):671-676. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v12.i4.671.
Kennedy CD, Huang JI, Hanel DP.In brief: kanavel’s signs and pyogenic flexor tenosynovitis.Clinical Orthopaedics & Related Research. 2016;474(1):280-284. doi:10.1007/s11999-015-4367-x
Lin C, Jiang Z, Cao L, Zou H, Zhu X.Role of NLRP3 inflammasome in systemic sclerosis.Arthritis Res Ther. 2022 Aug 16;24(1):196. doi:10.1186/s13075-022-02889-5.
Merck Manual Professional Version.Tendinitis and Tenosynovitis.
Giladi AM, Malay S, Chung KC.A systematic review of the management of acute pyogenic flexor tenosynovitis.J Hand Surg Eur Vol. 2015;40(7):720-728. doi:10.1177/1753193415570248
Xie P, Zhang Q hao, Zheng G zhou, et al.Stenosing tenosynovitis: Evaluation of percutaneous release with a specially designed needle vs. open surgery.Orthopäde. 2019;48(3):202-206. doi:10.1007/s00132-018-03676-4
Ippolito JA, Hauser S, Patel J, Vosbikian M, Ahmed I.Nonsurgical treatment of de quervain tenosynovitis: a prospective randomized trial.Hand (New York, N,Y). 2020;15(2):215-219. doi:10.1177/1558944718791187
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
