Accessory Extensor Pollicis Longus Tendon Incidentally Discovered During Dorsal Distal Radius Plating

Lamvy T Le; Brandon Butcher; Scott N Loewenstein

doi:10.1016/j.jhsg.2023.10.010

Accessory Extensor Pollicis Longus Tendon Incidentally Discovered During Dorsal Distal Radius Plating

J Hand Surg Glob Online. 2023 Dec 3;6(1):126-129. doi: 10.1016/j.jhsg.2023.10.010. eCollection 2024 Jan.

Authors

Lamvy T Le¹, Brandon Butcher², Scott N Loewenstein^{1

2

3}

Affiliations

¹ Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN.
² Department of Graduate Medical Education, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN.
³ Department of Plastic and Hand Surgery, HealthPartners Regions Hospital, Saint Paul, MN.

Abstract

Anatomical variations of the extensor pollicis longus (EPL) tendon are rare. Variations are typically asymptomatic, yet knowledge of these variations poses significance in the setting of dorsal approaches to wrist surgery. We present a case of an accessory EPL tendon that was discovered intraoperatively in the fourth dorsal compartment during open repair of a distal radius fracture with a dorsal spanning plate. If not correctly identified, the accessory EPL could have been entrapped beneath the plate, resulting in limited thumb extension and potentially tendon rupture.

Keywords: Accessory; Anatomic variation; Extensor pollicis longus; Supernumerary; Tendon.

Publication types

Case Reports