Causes And Risk Factors Of De Quervain's Tenosynovitis

Females At Increased Risk

Like individuals older than forty, females at an increased risk for de Quervain's tenosynovitis is an incompletely understood phenomenon. There is a more prominent theory about this risk factor though. Females have an increased level of estrogen for biological reasons. Found near the thumb are receptors referred to as beta estrogen receptors. Estrogen can bind to these receptors, and the effects have been found to be inflammatory. One of the causes of de Quervain's tenosynovitis is inflammation. To add to this, in both males and females, the number of beta estrogen receptors increases with age. This may also help to explain why the condition predominantly affects females who are over forty years old. Of course, research is still being done to determine the truth of these current findings.