Causes of tendovaginitis
The term tendovaginitis (synonyms: peritendinitis, paratendinitis) describes the occurrence of inflammatory processes in the area of the tendon sheaths. As a rule, these inflammations manifest themselves as stabbing pain in the area of the affected tendons. Although tendovaginitis can in principle affect all tendons of the body, its clinical picture can be observed mainly in the ankle and wrist joints.
The cause of tendovaginitis can be manifold. In clinical medicine, a rough distinction is made between infection-related and non-infectious causes. The risk of developing tendovaginitis is particularly high in athletes or those people who put a lot of strain on their wrists every day.
This is due to the fact that rapid increases in stress and/or prolonged stress intervals can lead to mechanical irritation of the tendon sheaths. In particular, the use of unergonomic working devices on the computer, which provokes a long-term malpositioning of the wrists, can result in excessive strain on the tendon sheaths of the hand. Furthermore, the increased execution of uniform movements, such as those performed during rowing or dumbbell training, is also a cause for the development of tendovaginitis.
In principle, tendovaginitis can occur at any tendon of the body. In clinical everyday life, however, it has been shown that mainly the tendons of the ankle and wrist joints are affected. According to new studies, a malfunction of connective tissue forming cells (so-called fibroblasts) also has a decisive influence on the development of tendovaginitis.
In this context, the cause of tendovaginitis is often described as the formation of inferior collagen (collagen type 3 instead of collagen type 1), which has no or only insufficient supporting function. In general, infectious causes lead much less frequently to the development of tendovaginitis than non-infectious influences. The occurrence of tendovaginitis can be observed especially in the course of stab wounds, which lead to tendon sheath openings in the area of the joints.
In these cases, the cause is considered to be the bacterial colonization of the areas near the tendons. Staphylococcus and streptococci are typical bacterial pathogens of tendovaginitis. Furthermore, it should be noted that tendovaginitis can also occur in the course of an inflammatory rheumatic disease.
