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Feb 7, 2023 · Intersection syndrome is an inflammatory condition that occurs at the crossing point of the 1st and 2nd dorsal compartments of the hand. It causes pain over the dorsoradial forearm and wrist, tenderness, crepitus and edema. Diagnosis is made clinically and treatment is conservative with rest, splinting and steroid injections.
- Overview
- What is intersection syndrome?
- Symptoms
- Causes and risk factors
- How do doctors diagnose it?
- Treatment for intersection syndrome
- How to prevent it
- Outlook
- Summary
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Intersection syndrome is inflammation and swelling of tendons in the wrist and back of the forearm. It is a rare form of tendonitis but is more common in people that play sports.
Tendons are thick cords of fibrous tissue that connect muscles and bones. Tendons cross over each other in the wrist, and some actions can make them rub against each other, causing friction. The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) explains that this friction can lead to tenosynovitis or swollen tendons.
Many tendons pass through the wrist in six anatomical tunnels called extensor tendon compartments. The NCBI notes that intersection syndrome (IS) occurs when tendons from the first compartment cross over and rub against those from the second.
This article explains what causes IS and how doctors diagnose and treat it. It also looks at home remedies and how to prevent it.
IS describes a form of tendonitis in a person’s wrist. It starts at the point where two tendons cross over or intersect. According to the NCBI, IS refers specifically to tendinitis that starts where tendons from the first and second extensor compartments overlap.
IS is a rare form of tendonitis, most commonly affecting people who repeatedly bend and straighten their wrists. Office workers or anyone else who repeatedly does repetitive motions with their wrists can develop this. However, regularly participating in sports, such as rowing, mountain biking, horseback riding, racket sports, and skiing, may make a person more susceptible to IS.
The repetitive movements cause friction at the point where two tendons that straighten or extend intersect with the fingers and thumb. The rubbing action makes the tendons swell, causing inflammation and pain.
Learn more about tendinitis here.
Most people with IS have a painful spot on the back of their wrist, stretching down a little into the back of their forearm. A 2021 paper explains that the pain is usually on the thumb side of the wrist, starting about 0.5 inches (in) below the wrist joint and extending just over 2 inches down the arm.
Many people experience a rubbing sensation when moving a wrist, there may be swelling, and the area may feel warm to the touch. Some people might find that the pain intensifies when they bend or straighten the wrist.
Others find that the wrist squeaks or makes a creaking noise when they move it. Doctors call this crepitus.
Learn more about crepitus here.
People develop IS by overusing the tendons that extend or straighten their fingers. As the tendons pass through the wrist, they overlap, and when they rub against each other, the friction causes swelling.
The NCBI says risk factors include activities that overuse the wrist, such as:
•rowing
•canoeing
•weightlifting
•racket sports, including tennis and racquetball
The Hand and Wrist Institute explains that doctors use the location of a person’s pain to help them diagnose IS.
Other forms of tendonitis, including de Quervain’s tenosynovitis, also produce pain in the back of the wrist and back of the forearm, but in slightly different places.
If they are unsure after a physical exam, doctors may recommend imaging tests, such as an ultrasound, or an MRI, to check where the inflammation starts.
Learn more about de Quervain’s tenosynovitis here.
Most doctors recommend people with IS stop doing sporting or other activities that aggravate the wrist to give the injury time to heal.
The 2017 paper explains that people may take over-the-counter (OTC) pain relief and anti-inflammatory medications to help manage their symptoms. They also recommend using ice to reduce swelling, keeping the wrist raised, and bandaging or splinting it to give it more support.
After the initial swelling has gone down, people with IS can start gently stretching and exercising their arm and hand. The idea is to gradually build up the intensity of the exercises over 4–6 weeks until the person has regained their former movement.
Researchers caution against introducing weights initially and advise people with IS to be mindful of their injury when training to avoid any relapses.
Doctors may recommend corticosteroid injections if a person does not recover using these methods. Very occasionally, doctors may suggest a person has surgery to release the tendons.
Find hands and wrist stretching exercises here.
The 2017 paper stresses the importance of doctors explaining what happens inside the wrist to the person with IS. The authors state that by understanding the mechanism of the injury, the person may be able to prevent it from happening again.
If the person’s injury developed due to taking part in a specific sport, they might need to refresh themselves about best practice techniques.
Most people with IS fully recover and regain their former movement in the wrist. The NCBI says that most people recover well with conservative treatments and return to their previous levels of movement.
IS is a type of tendonitis in the wrist. It happens when people repeatedly bend and straighten their wrists, making overlapping tendons rub against each other.
The friction between the tendons causes inflammation and swelling, specifically on the back of the forearm, just below the wrist joint.
Doctors usually recommend rest, splinting or bandaging the wrist to support it, and using OTC pain and anti-inflammatory medications as the first-line treatment. If these do not work, they may prescribe corticosteroid injections or, very rarely, surgery.
Most people recover fully and can return to their former levels of activity.
Intersection syndrome is a rare form of tendonitis that occurs when tendons from the first and second extensor compartments of the wrist cross over and rub against each other. It causes pain, swelling, and crepitus in the back of the wrist and forearm. It is more common in people who play sports that involve repetitive movements of the wrists. Treatment includes rest, ice, anti-inflammatory medications, and sometimes corticosteroid injections or surgery.
Intersection syndrome is a clinical diagnosis, although a musculoskeletal ultrasound can easily confirm it. Ultrasound technology has pushed musculoskeletal medicine forward in both diagnosis and treatment provided by physicians. Plain film imaging and CT will not be helpful in the diagnosis of Intersection syndrome.
Feb 4, 2024 · Intersection syndrome is a condition that affects the first and second compartments of the dorsal wrist extensors. The condition is thought to occur due to repetitive friction at the junction in which the tendons of the first dorsal compartment cross over the second, creating tenosynovitis. The patient experiences pain just proximal and dorsal to the radial styloid or 4 to 6 cm proximally to ...
- 2023/08/24
Aug 8, 2022 · Intersection syndrome is a wrist tendonitis caused by repetitive motion that stresses the tendons over the back of the forearm and wrist. Learn how to recognize the signs, prevent the condition and treat it with rest, ice, anti-inflammatory medications and sometimes surgery.
Intersection syndrome is a painful condition of the forearm and wrist that causes pain at the intersection point of two muscles and two tendons. It can be treated with rest, anti-inflammatory medications, or surgery in some cases. Learn about the anatomy, causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment options of this condition from a patient's guide.
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What causes Intersection syndrome?
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Where is the pain of Intersection syndrome located?
Intersection syndrome is a type of tenosynovitis that causes pain to the lower forearm, usually near the wrist. It occurs when the muscles and tendons that control the thumb intersect two wrist tendons. It can be treated with non-surgical methods such as ice, medication, and splinting, or surgically with a minimally invasive procedure.
