The outcome of treatment of trigger thumb in children

Abstract

O ur aim was to determine the outcome of the treatment of trigger thumb in children. There was a rate of spontaneous recovery of 49% in those children whose thumbs were observed before a final decision to operate was made. Spontaneous recovery occurred more commonly in children over 12 months old. All patients treated by operation had a satisfactory outcome with few complications. The overall rate of recurrence was 4.0% and it was more common in younger children. Our results suggest that a conservative approach to surgery for this condition could be adopted.

Surgical Release of the Pediatric Trigger Thumb

“…We divided these papers into 2 groups: papers from Asian countries 5,8,10,11 and those from Western countries. 1,9,12,14,17 The rate of spontaneous recovery in Southeast Asian papers is close to 50% and that in Western papers is about 10%. This analysis suggests that spontaneous recovery may be more likely to occur in children originating from Southeast Asia.…”

Trigger Finger

“…Surgical intervention has been found to have a high rate of success, more than 95%, with low rate of complications (2%-4%). 45,55 Failure and need for further surgical intervention are attributed to inadequate release of the A1 pulley.…”

Congenital Hand Differences

“…Several other studies also suggest a role for nonsurgical care, including stretching, with approximately 50% of children demonstrating resolution at 6 months. 23,24 Many hand surgeons prefer surgical release of the A1 pulley to allow thumb extension, as it is a reliable procedure with minimal morbidity; 23,24 long-term outcome is satisfactory, although extension may be limited even with surgery in 20%. 25 …”