Accessory extensor pollicis longus: A rare tendon anomaly

Abstract This report provides a complete review of a rare anatomical variation, the accessory extensor pollicis longus (EPL) tendon and its clinical significance. We will describe a case of an asymptomatic accessory EPL that was found incidentally during surgery with a tendon located in the fourth extensor compartment. Pulling on it induced extension of the thumb interphalangeal joint. Very few cases of accessory EPL have been previously reported with various muscle origins and tendon insertions. In the literature, three symptomatic cases of accessory EPL were reported with a tendon running in a compartment other than the fourth. Although this variation is asymptomatic in most cases, knowledge of its existence might be useful in routine procedures to avoid inadvertent tendon damage, or during tendon repair.