Purpose Trigger finger, or stenosing tenosynovitis, is a common musculoskeletal disorder characterized by pain, stiffness, and locking of the affected digit. This prospective case series evaluated the outcomes of a commercially available proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint orthosis combined with therapeutic exercise in patients with Green grades I–III trigger finger. Thumbs were excluded. Methods Patients aged ≥18 years with trigger finger (Green grades I–III) were treated with a PIP joint orthosis worn during sleep and as needed during the day, together with a structured exercise program including flexor tendon gliding and stretching exercises for 6 weeks. Pain intensity (Numeric Pain Rating Scale NPRS), Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (QuickDASH) scores, and Green's grades were assessed at baseline and after 6 weeks. Treatment success was defined based on initial Green grade. Results Seventy-nine patients (107 affected digits) were enrolled, with a mean age of 51.8 ± 9.8 years and a women-to-men ratio of 3.4:1. After 6 weeks of intervention, median NPRS pain scores significantly decreased from 6 to 1 during movement, and QuickDASH scores improved from 25 to 10. The proportion of digits with Green grade III decreased from 8.0% to 2.3%, whereas grade I increased to 71.3%. The overall treatment success rate was 55.2%. Conclusions In this prospective case series, the combination of PIP joint orthosis and therapeutic exercise was associated with reduced pain, improved hand function, and decreased triggering severity in patients with Green grades I–III trigger finger. Because of the absence of a control group, these findings demonstrate feasibility and short-term clinical improvement but cannot establish superiority over other conservative treatments. Type of study/level of evidence Therapeutic IV.
To et al. (Fri,) studied this question.