BACKGROUND: de Quervain's disease is an inadequacy into the first extensor 
compartment of wrist between the osteofibrous tunnel and the tendons. This 
mechanical conflict generates a tenosynovitis of the extensor pollicis brevis 
and the abductor pollicis longus tendons in first dorsal extensor compartment of 
the wrist.
AIM: (1) To compare the clinical results obtained by longitudinal and transverse 
incisions and (2) the implication of clinical results in Indian population.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was conducted at Kalpana Chawla Government 
Medical College, Karnal, Haryana. The inclusion criteria were positive 
Finkelstein's test and no response to non-surgical treatment for 6 weeks. 
Forty-eight patients with de Quervain's disease who did not respond to 
conservative treatment were operated with two different incisions. The patients 
were followed at 6 weeks, 3 and 6 months to compare the surgical outcomes.
RESULTS: During a three-month follow-up, a significant difference was shown 
between the two methods (p = 0.0001). Results of surgical treatment with 
longitudinal incision were better (only one hypertrophic scar), but there were 
12 postoperative complications with transverse incision. Visual analog scale 
(VAS) was used to evaluate the hypertrophic scar. In transverse incision group, 
out of five patients, four patients who developed hypertrophic scar have poor 
score according to VAS.
CONCLUSION: Overall, longitudinal incision should be used for surgical treatment 
for de Quervain's disease due to lower risk of complications.