Medical Comorbidities Do Not Affect Success of Trigger Finger Corticosteroid Injections at One Year

Articles in Press

Document Type : RESEARCH PAPER

Authors

1 Rothman Orthopaedics

2 Rothman Orthopaedic Institute

10.22038/abjs.2025.84765.3862

Abstract

Objectives:

Trigger finger, or stenosing tenosynovitis, is a common condition of the hand. A wide range of results have been reported on the effectiveness of corticosteroid injections for trigger finger, especially depending upon medical comorbidities. The purpose of this study was to evaluate patients a year after initial injection to determine what percentage needed additional injections, went on to surgery, and/or are still having symptoms of pain and triggering.



Methods:

Patients who received a corticosteroid injection for trigger finger from 6/4/2019 to 9/26/2019 were included in the study. Patients were contacted by phone one year after the first injection to assess persistent triggering and/or pain, additional injections, and surgical procedures. Previously collected information on the time to initial relief from the initial injection was also included.



Results:

The percentage of patients not requiring additional intervention was 64.6% (106/164) at one year. Additionally, 32.8% (19/58) of those who failed initial treatment required repeat injection only and 67.2% (39/58) of these patients required surgery. There was no statistically significant difference in the age, sex, diabetes, thyroid disease status, or time to relief after initial injection of patients requiring surgery, additional injection only, or no further intervention at one year.



Conclusion:

Our success and failure rates after initial corticosteroid injection were comparable to other rates reported in the literature. Contrarily, there was no difference when comparing diabetic or thyroid disorders patients with healthy patients and the need for further intervention at one year post initial injection. We also found that time to pain and triggering resolution after first corticosteroid injection is not predictive of the need for further intervention at one year post initial injection.

Keywords

Main Subjects

The Archives of Bone and Joint Surgery

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 15 November 2025

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History

  • Receive Date: 28 December 2024
  • Revise Date: 04 August 2025
  • Accept Date: 03 November 2025

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