National Benchmarks for the Efficacy of Trigger Finger and the Risk Factors Associated With Failure

The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of single and multiple corticosteroid injections used for symptomatic trigger finger. The rates of subsequent injections and the rate of tendon sheath release are reported along with the identification of risk factors correlated with failure of injection. METHODS: A retrospective review of a national healthcare database was conducted identifying patients with a diagnosis of trigger finger or thumb. Inclusion required a tendon sheath injection on the same day or within six weeks of diagnosis. Patient cohorts were further stratified based on treatment success and those requiring additional injections within 6 months or surgery within 1 year of initial diagnosis. RESULTS: Thirty-one thousand seven hundred fifty-one patients met inclusion criteria and underwent an initial injection within the study period. The efficacy of initial, second, and third injection was 66.3%, 79.4%, and 79.6%, respectively. Of the patients who failed an injection, 9.4% had tendon sheath release after a primary injection, 23.1% had surgery after a second injection, and 30.4% had surgery after a third injection. Only obesity (OR 1.2; P < 0.0001) and concomitant diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome (OR 1.4; P < 0.0001) were found to be significant for injection failure on multivariate logistic regression analysis. DISCUSSION: Overall corticosteroid injections were effective in greater than 65% of patients. This information may help guide treatment practice because there seems to be continued additional benefit to repeat corticosteroid injections after injection failure.