The results of conservative management of trigger finger. A series of 169 patients.

The authors present the preliminary results of a series of 230 trigger fingers in 169 patients managed conservatively by injection of 1 ml of hydrocortisone into the flexor sheath as described by Curtis. 'Good' results were obtained after a single infiltration in 73% cases, after two infiltrations in 81.6% cases and in 83% cases after three infiltrations. Factors have been studied in order to identify variables with prognostic significance. The outcome was not influenced by the severity of symptoms, by the association with other disease, by sex or by the site of pathology. Outcome was affected by the duration of symptoms. Duration exceeding one year indicates surgical release as does failure of conservative treatment.