Trigger Finger

Posted by OM Information 7:55 PM

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It was a terrible experience! My ring finger snapped! I used another fingers to straighten it. I contacted a friend and he said it is a common problem among golfers. According to the doctor, it is called 'finger trigger' - that causes pain and snapping of the tendons in the fingers. The problem that occurs in a patient who has trigger finger is due to the tendons of the fingers, and the sheath in which these tendons live.

The most common treatment of trigger finger is with injection of steroids (cortisone injection) into the flexor tendon sheath. The cortisone injection should decrease the swelling within the tendon, and restore the normal mechanics of the flexor tendon mechanism.

Usually a single cortisone injection will resolve, at least temporarily, the trigger finger. The chance of the cortisone injection providing a lasting solution for a trigger finger is about 50%.

Is surgery necessary to treat trigger finger?
If the problem does not resolve, a surgery to release the tendon may be necessary. This procedure is a same day surgery that can be done under local anesthetic or regional nerve block. A small (less than 2 cm) incision is made in the skin, and the tight portion of the flexor tendon sheath is released.

What are the possible complications of a trigger finger release?
Trigger finger surgery is very safe, but there are possible complications. The most common problem is that the trigger finger can come back if the tendon sheath is not adequately released. Other possible problems include stiffness of the finger, and damage to the nerves of the finger. The likelihood of these problems is very small, and trigger finger surgery has a very high success rate.

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