Which term refers to inflammation of the tendons on the thumb side of the wrist?

• A. Epicondylitis
• B. Ganglion
• C. De Quervain's Tenosynovitis
• D. Shoulder Tendonitis

Answer: (C)

The main idea here is identifying a specific inflammatory condition of the tendons on the thumb side of the wrist. This is De Quervain's tenosynovitis, which targets the first dorsal tendon compartment where the abductor pollicis longus and extensor pollicis brevis run. When the tendon sheath becomes inflamed, bending or gripping the thumb often hurts at the radial (thumb) side of the wrist, and a clinician may reproduce the pain with a Finkelstein maneuver. This term explicitly describes both the location (thumb-side wrist) and the problem (inflammation of the tendon sheath), making it the precise fit. In contrast, epicondylitis involves elbow tendons, a ganglion is a cyst, and shoulder tendinopathy affects the shoulder, not the wrist.