The results of surgical treatment of trigger finger

A three-part retrospective study was undertaken to review the long-term results of surgical treatment of trigger finger.Seventy-five patients were identified by chart review.Fifty-nine of these were assessed by a telephone survey, with a mean follow-up period of 48 months (range, 6-70 months).Forty-six patients (78%) underwent follow-up physical examination.Surgical treatment was successful in all patients.Ninety-seven percent of patients had complete resolution of triggering, and the rest had significant improvement of symptoms.The recurrence rate was 3%, with only a single patient requiring reoperation.Complications were infrequent and resulted in minimal morbidity.No nerve injuries, tendon bowstringing, or ulnar deviation of the digits were observed.There were no wound infections.Although steroid injections should remain the initial remedy for most trigger fingers, surgical intervention is highly successful for conservative treatment failures and should be considered for patients desiring quick and definitive relief from this disability.(] Hand Surg 1997;22A:145-149.)Trigger finger, or stenosing tenosynovitis of the digital flexor tendon sheath, is a common problem in clinical hand surgery.It is seen and treated frequently by general practitioners, medical specialists, and hand surgeons.Prior to the middle of this century, trigger fingers were primarily treated with surgery.However, several reports have indicated that more conservative forms of therapy, such as steroid injections, may yield good results.1-3 Although this treatment is clinically attractive for its simplicity and low morbidity, repeated treatment sessions are usually required because of a high recurrence rate, and it may be associated with a high failure rate.1,4 6Although there are a large number of reports that followed the seminal work of Howard et al. regard-