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Purpose: Trigger finger release (TFR) is a commonly performed procedure in hand surgery. Trigger finger release has a high success rate, but recurrence can occur. Data on revision TFR (rTFR) are sparse, with little known regarding factors associated with the need for revision surgery. Our purpose was to analyze risk factors associated with rTFR procedures., Methods: Using a national database (PearlDiver Research Program), patients who underwent TFR between 2015 and 2022 were identified using Current Procedural Terminology and International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-10 codes. Patients were included if they received an ICD-10 diagnosis of trigger finger on the same day as their release or within 2 weeks of their procedure. Patients who underwent rTFR were determined through identification of a secondary procedure completed in the same digit on the ipsilateral hand performed after the index procedure. Revision rates at 1, 3, and 5 years were recorded. Demographics and comorbidities were categorically examined via univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses., Results: A total of 46,613 patients meeting inclusion criteria were identified after TFR with 1,793 (3.85%) undergoing revision release. Multivariable analysis demonstrated that diabetes, ischemic heart disease, and male sex were associated with statistically significantly increased odds of revision procedures at 1, 3, and 5 years from the initial operation. Age >65 years and hypertension were associated with an increased odds of revision surgery at 3 and 5 years, and carpal tunnel syndrome as a risk factor at 1 and 3 years only. Hypothyroidism was associated with a decreased revision rate at all time points and tobacco use at 5 years only., Conclusions: These data demonstrate that male sex, diabetes, and heart disease are risk factors for requiring revision TFR in the short and medium terms. This information can add to preoperative counseling with patients undergoing surgical treatment of trigger digits., Type of Study/level of Evidence: Prognostic II., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest No benefits in any form have been received or will be received related directly to this article., (Copyright © 2024 American Society for Surgery of the Hand. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Variations in the description of the flexor pulley system exist, particularly in whether the A1 and A2 pulleys represent discrete or confluent entities. This has potentially important clinical relevance at the time of A1 pulley release for symptomatic trigger finger, given the goal of adequate release without overrelease. The purpose of this study was to determine the relative prevalence of confluent A1 pulleys on a digit-by-digit basis employing 2.5× loupes alone, thereby simulating a clinical surgical environment., Methods: Cadaveric anatomic specimens underwent flexor pulley system dissection under 2.5× loupe magnification by 2 hand surgeons. The presence of pulley confluence and length (measured from the proximal aspect to the distal aspect) was recorded and compared on a digit-to-digit basis., Results: Forty-five digits, comprising 9 adult forearm or hand specimens (5 right and 4 left) obtained from 6 donors (4 men and 2 women, age: 67 ± 8 years), were dissected. A total of 19 confluent A1 pulleys were encountered, with notable digit-by-digit variation in the prevalence of confluent pulleys. There were 0 confluent pulleys observed in the thumb, compared with 6 confluent pulleys observed in the middle finger. The average overall A1 pulley length was 5.0 ± 1.5 mm, with a similar pulley length observed between the digits., Conclusions: A1 pulley confluence varies on a digit-to-digit basis, with no observed confluence in the thumb and the most common confluence observed in the middle finger., Clinical Relevance: In the setting of intraoperatively observed pulley confluence, we suggest pulley release under traction in order to develop the plane between the A1 and A2 pulleys and, thus, confirm the complete and isolated release of the A1 pulley., (Copyright © 2023 American Society for Surgery of the Hand. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Pediatric trigger finger (PTF) is an acquired condition that is uncommon and anatomically complex. Currently, the literature is characterized by a small number of retrospective case series with limited sample sizes. This investigation sought to evaluate the presentation, management, and treatment outcomes of PTF in a large, multicenter cohort., Methods: A retrospective review of pediatric patients with a diagnosis of PTF between 2009 and 2020 was performed at three tertiary referral hospitals. Patient demographics, PTF characteristics, treatment strategies, and outcomes were abstracted from the electronic medical records. Patients and families also were contacted by telephone to assess the downstream persistence or recurrence of triggering symptoms., Results: In total, 321 patients with 449 PTFs were included at a mean follow-up of 3.9 ± 4.0 years. There were approximately equal numbers of boys and girls, and the mean age of symptom onset was 5.4 ± 5.1 years. The middle (34.7%) and index (11.6%) fingers were the most and least commonly affected digits, respectively. Overall, PTFs managed operatively achieved significantly higher rates of complete resolution compared with PTFs managed nonsurgically (97.1% vs 30.0%). Seventy-five percent of PTFs that achieved complete resolution with nonsurgical management did so within 6 months, and approximately 90% did so within 12 months. Patients with multidigit involvement, higher Quinnell grade at presentation, or palpable nodularity were significantly more likely to undergo surgery. There was no significant difference in the rate of complete resolution between splinted versus not splinted PTFs or across operative techniques., Conclusions: Only 30% of the PTFs managed nonsurgically achieved complete resolution. Splinting did not improve resolution rates in children treated nonsurgically. In contrast, surgical intervention has a high likelihood of restoring motion and function of the affected digit., Type of Study/level of Evidence: Therapeutic IV., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Purpose: To identify the anatomic relationship between the distal extent of the A1 pulley and the distalmost insertion point of the palmar plate into the base of the proximal phalanx at a metaphyseal bony ridge, the "P1 peak" (P1P), which is a bony acoustic landmark easily identifiable on sonography of the finger., Methods: We studied 48 fingers (no thumbs) from 12 fresh frozen cadavers with high-resolution ultrasound. A 20-gauge hypodermic needle was directed perpendicular to the long axis of the tendon sheath along a plumb line drawn at the level of the bony flare of the proximal metaphyseal-diaphyseal junction of the proximal phalanx, or the P1P, under high-resolution ultrasound guidance. Dissection was then performed, and the distance of the needle barrel and the actual distance of the P1P from the distal edge of the A1 pulley were recorded., Results: The study demonstrated that accurate placement of the needle within 1 mm of the actual P1P was possible using ultrasound guidance and that the P1P was within 1 mm of the distal edge of the actual A1 pulley in all specimens studied., Conclusions: In all the specimens studied, we found that the P1P may be used as a clearly identifiable sonographic reference landmark to identify the distal extent of the A1 pulley., Clinical Relevance: Using the P1P landmark as a guide to judge the completeness of ultrasound-guided percutaneous trigger finger release may reduce the risks of incomplete distal release and inadvertent release of the A2 pulley., (Copyright © 2022 American Society for Surgery of the Hand. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)