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Symptomatic flexor carpi radialis brevis: case report
Arkaphat Kosiyatrakul1, Suriya Luenam, Sunya Prachaporn
1Department of Orthopaedics, Phramongkutklao Hospital and College of Medicine, Bangkok, Thailand. arkaphat@hotmail.com
The Journal of Hand Surgery
|February 27, 2010
Summary
A rare flexor carpi radialis brevis (FCRB) muscle variant caused pain due to tenosynovitis in its own compartment. Surgical release of this compartment effectively relieved the patient's symptoms.
Area of Science:
- Anatomy
- Orthopedic Surgery
- Musculoskeletal System
Background:
- The flexor carpi radialis brevis (FCRB) is an uncommon muscle variant.
- Anomalous muscle presentations can lead to various clinical symptoms.
Observation:
- A patient presented with wrist pain attributed to an anomalous flexor carpi radialis brevis (FCRB) muscle.
- Unlike most reported cases, this FCRB variant was symptomatic.
Findings:
- The anomalous FCRB tendon was situated within a distinct anatomical compartment.
- Tenosynovitis within this separate compartment was identified as the source of the patient's pain.
- Surgical release of the affected compartment led to symptom resolution.
Implications:
- This case highlights the importance of considering anomalous anatomy in the differential diagnosis of wrist pain.
- Compartmental tenosynovitis of rare muscle variants can be a treatable cause of pain.
- Surgical decompression is an effective treatment for symptomatic tenosynovitis in anomalous FCRB.
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