Abstract
BACKGROUND:
One prevalent cause of hand pain and handicap is trigger finger. Patient satisfaction and an earlier functional recovery are the outcomes of percutaneous release. This is a quick and affordable technique that improves functional outcomes without requiring surgery. When more conventional therapies fail, percutaneous release of the A1 pulley is recommended as a safe and effective alternative for treating trigger fingers. A trigger finger was discovered to be the most prevalent ailment in adults, appearing most frequently in the middle of the fifth or sixth decade of life, with a risk of 2 to 3% in the general population and up to 10% in patients with diabetes mellitus. Notably, women (middle-aged women) are more impacted by this ailment than males are, and the middle and ring fingers are said to be the most frequently implicated fingers. The purpose of this study was to assess the outcomes of 30 patients' percutaneous release of the trigger finger using an 18G needle.
AIM: The aim of this study was to determine the clinical results and safety of percutaneous release in trigger thumbs.
MATERIAL AND METHOD:
The present investigation is a prospective observational study carried out at the orthopedic department. There were thirty patients in all. There were twenty-five women and five men. There were seven examples in the left hand and twenty-three in the right. There were four cases involving the thumb, six involving the index finger, ten involving the ring finger, and ten involving the mid finger. A proforma that was structured was used to gather data. In accordance with the selection criteria, patients were chosen upon presentation to the orthopedic consulting clinics. The patients were informed of the study's goal, methodology, risks, and advantages, and a formal signed agreement was obtained. Following the treatment, patients were monitored for a minimum of three months. During the last follow-up, patients had their finger range of motion assessed using a goniometer, which measured all three ranges.
RESULTS:
A total of 30 adult patients with trigger fingers were included in this study. The mean age was 39.45 years with a range of > 18 years. There were twenty-five women and five men. There were seven examples in the left hand and twenty-three in the right. There were four cases involving the thumb, six involving the index finger, ten involving the ring finger, and ten involving the mid finger. The thumb (56.6%) was the most commonly affected digit, followed by the index, middle, and ring fingers. Pain (66.6%) was the most common presenting symptom, followed by stiffness and catching (33.3%). After three months, both subjective and objective results were noted.
CONCLUSION:
In summary, percutaneous release represents a straightforward, low-risk, high-results therapeutic approach for the management of trigger thumb. The injection of steroids using the same needle used for release is one of the technique's main benefits. This kind of release could possibly be used as the initial course of treatment for patients with trigger thumbs, given the generally unfavorable outcomes of conservative measures. In addition to being efficient, safe, and well-tolerated by patients, percutaneous release of the trigger finger with an 18 G Needle saves the time and money associated with an open surgery. To prevent complications, it should be performed by a senior orthopedic or hand surgeon.
KEYWORDS: Trigger fingers, Percutaneous release, Success rate, A1 pulley, outpatient treatment and cost-benefit analysis