Frequency of tendinitis de De Quervain in medical students and its relati onship with the use of smartphones

Abstract

Introduction: De Quervain‘s tenosynovitis is an inflammation of the abductor tendon sheath long and short extensor of the thumb secondary to acute trauma, extreme exercise and accumulated microtraumas due to excessive thumb use, as in the case of the people who send many text messages per day.

Materials and methods: observational, transversal and analytical study. The sample size was 100 medical students from the National University of Asunción, non-probabilistic selection.

Results: Sixty three percent of the students were female. A quarter of responders claimed to send more than 200 messages per day. When performing Finkelstein maneuver, it was found that 39% have De Quervain´s tenosynovitis, 25% corresponding to the female gender. 81% of students who perform text messages result in pain in the hand, followed by 92% and 40%, due to pain in the ipsilateral elbow and shoulder, respectively. In addition, 90% present paresthesias in the hands. No relationship was found between the number of sending text messages and the presence of De Quervain´s tenosynovitis.

Conclusion: Almost 40% of young people who use smartphones have De Quervain´s tenosynovitis, but the greater use of it does not show a greater predisposition, while other associated factors must be studied.