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Time to Improvement After Corticosteroid Injection for Trigger Finger
Daniel Seigerman1, Richard M McEntee2,3, Jonas Matzon3
1Orthopedic Surgery, Rothman Orthopedic Institute, New York City, USA.
Cureus
|September 15, 2021
Summary
Corticosteroid injections effectively relieve trigger finger pain and triggering symptoms in most patients within three weeks. Pain relief often occurs within the first week, while symptom improvement may take slightly longer.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedics
- Hand Surgery
- Musculoskeletal Conditions
Background:
- Trigger finger (stenosing tenosynovitis) is a common condition causing pain and mechanical symptoms in the hand.
- Corticosteroid injection is a frequent non-operative treatment for trigger finger.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the short-term effectiveness of corticosteroid injections for trigger finger.
- To evaluate patient-reported outcomes regarding pain and triggering symptoms post-injection.
Main Methods:
- Prospective study involving 452 patients treated by six orthopedic hand surgeons.
- Patients received corticosteroid injections for trigger finger between June and October 2019.
- Follow-up phone questionnaires at one, two, and three weeks post-injection assessed pain and triggering.
Main Results:
- At three weeks, 82.4% of patients reported complete pain relief and 65.9% reported complete triggering relief.
- Average time to complete pain relief was 6.6 days; average time to complete triggering relief was 8.1 days.
- 16.3% experienced partial pain relief, and 30.4% experienced partial triggering relief.
Conclusions:
- Corticosteroid injections provide significant short-term relief for trigger finger pain and triggering symptoms.
- Pain relief is generally observed earlier than the resolution of mechanical triggering symptoms.
- The study supports corticosteroid injection as an effective treatment option for trigger finger.
