Background:Surgery for trigger finger is done to increase the space for flexor tendon allowing
the finger to bend and flex smoothly. The site and shape of the incision with regard to hand function
and anatomic considerations are important for the success of the surgery.The aim of this prospective
study was to compare longitudinal versus transverse incisions in trigger finger release as regard
functional outcome, patients satisfaction and surgeon preference. Methods: Forty patients (44 trigger
fingers) underwent surgical release; 22 fingers with longitudinal incision and 22 with transverse
incision. There were 16 male and 24 female patients, with the mean age 31±5.5 years. DASH score
was used to assess the functional outcome. All the patients were followed up to a period3 to 10 months
with a mean 6±0.7 months. Results: The mean DASH score improved significantly in both groups with
no statistically significant difference between the two groups. Although the surgical release using
longitudinal incision was shorter in duration than that of transverse incision, there was no statistically
significant difference in the operative time (p=0.65). Surgeon preference was better with longitudinal
incision. Conclusion: Although there was no statistically significant difference between the outcome of
the patients with transverse versus longitudinal incisions regarding the operative time, functional
improvement, and patient satisfaction, there was more surgeon preference with the longitudinal
incision |
