Which statement about the extensor retinaculum compartments is correct?

Which statement about the extensor retinaculum compartments is correct?

• A. The 1st compartment contains abductor pollicis longus and extensor pollicis brevis.
• B. The 2nd compartment contains extensor pollicis longus.
• C. The 5th compartment contains extensor carpi ulnaris.
• D. The 5th compartment contains extensor digiti minimi.

Answer: (D)

The extensor retinaculum creates six dorsal wrist compartments, each housing specific tendons as they pass to the fingers and thumb. From radial to ulnar, the contents are: 1st compartment with abductor pollicis longus and extensor pollicis brevis; 2nd with extensor carpi radialis longus and brevis; 3rd with extensor pollicis longus; 4th with extensor digitorum and extensor indicis; 5th with extensor digiti minimi; and 6th with extensor carpi ulnaris. Therefore, the statement that the fifth compartment contains extensor digiti minimi is correct, since EDM runs in that specific tunnel. The other options conflict with this established mapping: extensor carpi ulnaris is in the sixth compartment, not the fifth; extensor pollicis longus is in the third compartment, not the second; and while the first compartment does contain APL and EPB, the key point being tested here is the precise localization of EDM in the fifth compartment.

The extensor retinaculum creates six dorsal wrist compartments, each housing specific tendons as they pass to the fingers and thumb. From radial to ulnar, the contents are: 1st compartment with abductor pollicis longus and extensor pollicis brevis; 2nd with extensor carpi radialis longus and brevis; 3rd with extensor pollicis longus; 4th with extensor digitorum and extensor indicis; 5th with extensor digiti minimi; and 6th with extensor carpi ulnaris. Therefore, the statement that the fifth compartment contains extensor digiti minimi is correct, since EDM runs in that specific tunnel. The other options conflict with this established mapping: extensor carpi ulnaris is in the sixth compartment, not the fifth; extensor pollicis longus is in the third compartment, not the second; and while the first compartment does contain APL and EPB, the key point being tested here is the precise localization of EDM in the fifth compartment.