Hand tendinopathy risk factors in Taiwan: A population-based cohort study

De Quervain's disease, carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), and trigger finger (digit) are three common pathological conditions of the hand. They are considered overuse syndromes and occur predominantly in females. The prevalence rate and cause-specific risks of these three tendinopathies have not yet been clarified. Data from 41,871 cases listed in the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) from 2010 to 2014 were analyzed. The prevalence rate of these 3 conditions by age, sex, and the risk factors of female-dominant diseases (e.g., osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis [RA], and tendinopathy), diabetes mellitus, and hormone antagonist treatment was evaluated. We found that 1.59% of the population developed CTS, 0.49% developed de Quervain's, and 1.07% developed trigger finger. Cases were more likely to develop the three hand tendinopathies if they were female, between 50 and 59 years old, and, according to a multivariate analysis, comorbid with RA, diabetes, using hormone antagonists. Our findings should provide an understanding of the risk factors associated with hand tendinopathy.