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Open versus percutaneous release for trigger digits: Reversal between short-term and long-term outcomes
Chin-Jung Lin1, Hui-Kuang Huang2, Shih-Tien Wang3
1Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC; Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC; Kinmen Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Kinmen, Taiwan, ROC.
Percutaneous release of trigger finger offers better short-term satisfaction than open release. However, open release shows comparable long-term outcomes, with no significant difference in patient satisfaction for trigger finger treatment.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedic surgery
- Hand surgery
- Musculoskeletal disorders
Background:
- Trigger finger (stenosing tenosynovitis) is a common condition affecting the hand.
- Both open surgical release and percutaneous needle release are established treatments.
- Comparative outcome data for these techniques, particularly long-term, is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare short-term (3 months) and long-term (2 years) outcomes of open versus percutaneous trigger finger release.
- To evaluate patient satisfaction following both surgical approaches.
Main Methods:
- A prospective study enrolled 198 patients with trigger finger from 2009-2012.
- Patients were treated with either open release (n=72) or percutaneous release (n=126) of the A1 pulley.
- Outcomes and patient satisfaction were assessed using Gilberts et al.'s questionnaire.
Main Results:
- Short-term patient satisfaction was significantly higher in the percutaneous release group.
- Long-term patient satisfaction favored the open release group, though not significantly.
- No significant long-term difference in satisfaction between open and percutaneous trigger finger release.
Conclusions:
- Percutaneous release provides superior short-term satisfaction for trigger finger treatment.
- Open release does not yield significantly better long-term patient satisfaction compared to percutaneous methods.
- Both techniques are viable options for trigger finger release, with differing short-term satisfaction profiles.
