RESEARCH - Percutaneous release of the trigger thumb: is it safe, cheap and effective?

[Guest guest]

Int Orthop. 2007 Jun;31(3):345-9. Epub 2006 Jul 18.

Percutaneous release of the trigger thumb: is it safe, cheap and effective?

Cebesoy O, Kose KC, Baltaci ET, Isik M.

Orthopedic and Traumatology Department, Gaziantep University Faculty

of Medicine, 27060 Gaziantep, Turkey.

Percutaneous release of the trigger finger and trigger thumb has

recently gained popularity. The aim of this study was to determine the

clinical results and safety of percutaneous release in trigger thumbs.

Twenty-five thumbs of 21 patients were released percutaneously in the

polyclinic under local anaesthesia. Steroid injection was performed

following the release procedure using the same needle. The thumb

function was evaluated by a patient questionnaire, and functional

thumb scores (VAS) were calculated in the preoperative and

postoperative periods. At the 1 week follow-up, four patients had

signs of discomfort and triggering because of incomplete release.

These patients underwent open A1 pulley release. Three superficial

tendon lacerations were seen during these open procedures. There were

no wound complications or signs of digital nerve or artery injury in

any of the patients. The preoperative mean VAS was 26.62 (18-36). This

decreased to 2.57 (0-5) at the first postoperative month (P<0.001) and

to 2.19 (0-3; P<0.001) at the sixth month. When the VAS scores at the

first and sixth months were compared, the difference was statistically

significant. We concluded that percutaneous release of trigger thumbs

is a cheap, safe and effective procedure with a low rate of

complications.

PMID: 16847643

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16847643

Not an MD