An anatomical study of the first extensor compartment of the wrist.

Anatomical variations of the first extensor compartment of the wrist are important during surgical operations of the wrist with de Quervain's disease. We studied 41 wrists from cadavers (16 whole cadavers and nine forearms) and the wrists of twenty-eight patients with de Quervain's disease to determine the variations of tendons and septa in the first extensor compartment. In 85.4 percent of the wrists from cadavers, the number of the tendons differed from the standard. There was septation in 9.75 percent of the dissected wrists. These anatomic variations are discussed for de Quervain's disease. In twenty-eight patients with de Quervain's disease, septation was found in thirteen patients (46.43%). In 82.14 percent of the wrists from the patients, the number of tendons in the first extensor compartment was more than two.