Trigger finger – treatment of de Quervain’s disease

Trigger finger is a chronic inflammation and thickening of the tendon in the finger, most often in the thumb, ring finger, or index finger. It causes difficulty in bending and straightening the affected finger, during which a snapping sound can be heard. This condition makes many simple tasks difficult, and the finger often remains in a locked position.

De Quervain’s syndrome, also known as “mother’s wrist,” is an inflammation of the tendon sheath surrounding the tendons of the thumb muscles, which control the movements of thumb extension and abduction. The inflammation causes pain during thumb movements and can lead to fibrosis and tendon damage.

The causes of both aforementioned syndromes are attributed to repetitive tendon overloads. Repeating the same movement causes the same tendons and muscle groups to remain constantly tense. Over time, this leads to overload and consequently inflammation. Other causes that may lead to the development of these conditions include:

• injuries and bone changes
• inflammatory processes during rheumatoid arthritis leading to post-inflammatory adhesions

Symptoms of trigger finger

Typical symptoms of trigger finger include:

• the formation of a painful nodule at the base of the finger,
• limited ability to freely bend and straighten the finger,
• typical snapping during finger extension and flexion,
• pain during finger extension,
• complete finger lock.

Symptoms of de Quervain’s syndrome

Typical symptoms of de Quervain’s syndrome include:

• thumb pain increasing with thumb movements,
• pain radiating along the entire thumb and forearm,
• congestion and redness of the affected area,
• swelling and enlargement of the contour around the styloid process of the radius bone,
• effusion in this area,
• palpable snapping of tendons over the styloid process (triggering tendon),
• hypersensitivity around the base of the thumb,

Surgical treatment

Surgical treatment of the aforementioned syndromes involves cutting the pathologically changed tendon sheath, partially excising it to free the tendons so they can move freely, and removing any possible post-inflammatory adhesions.
The surgical procedure is performed under local anesthesia. The patient can return home immediately after the procedure.

Ask our specialists treating trigger finger about treatment methods for your condition.