Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 27, 2026

Three-Dimensional Cephalometric Landmark Annotation Demonstration on Human Cone Beam Computed Tomography Scans
Published on: September 8, 2023
Anatomic landmarks for the first dorsal compartment
Ron Hazani1, Nitin J Engineer, Damon Cooney
1Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY, USA. Ronmdsurg@hotmail.com
Objective:
Knowledge of anatomic landmarks for the first dorsal compartment can assist clinicians with management of de Quervain's disease. The radial styloid, the scaphoid tubercle, and Lister's tubercle can be used as superficial landmarks for the first dorsal compartment.
Methods:
Thirty-two cadaveric wrists were dissected, and measurements were taken from the predetermined landmarks to the extensor retinaculum. The compartments were also inspected for variability of the abductor pollicis longus tendon and intracompartmental septations.
Results:
The average length of the extensor retinaculum from its proximal to distal extent measured approximately 2.2 cm. The distal aspect of the radial styloid was 0.3 cm distal to the distal aspect of the extensor retinaculum, and the distance between the distal aspect of the extensor retinaculum and the APL-Lister's-Scaphoid juncture was approximately 0.5 cm. A separate compartment for the extensor pollicis brevis was noted in 35% of the specimens. The abductor pollicis longus tendon demonstrated great variability with 1, 2, 3, or 4 slips in 9%, 30%, 43%, or 26% of the specimens, respectively.
Conclusion:
The superficial bony prominences of the radial wrist can be used reliably as anatomic landmarks for the first dorsal compartment.
Related Concept Videos
Muscles of the Forearm that Move the Hand and Fingers
Anterior Compartment
The anterior compartment muscles originate from the humerus. They primarily function as flexors and are also known as flexor muscles. They typically insert on the carpals, metacarpals, and phalanges. The superficial layer includes the flexor carpi radialis,...
The Spinal Cord
Regional Terms
Primarily, the human body has two major regions, the axial and appendicular regions. The axial region comprises regions from the head to the abdomen and makes up the central body axis. In contrast,...
Abdominal Regions and Quadrants
The simpler quadrants approach, which is more commonly used in medicine, subdivides the cavity with one horizontal and one vertical line that intersects at the patient's umbilicus (navel). The four quadrants...
Muscles of the Abdomen
Anterolateral Region
The anterolateral region comprises five paired muscles classified into the lateral and anterior...
Bones of the Upper Limb: Radius
The radius has a nail-shaped head, and a short...

