Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness, results, and complications resulting from treatment of trigger finger with open surgery and with percutaneous release by blade probe with or without
cortisone injection.

Materials and Methods: One hundred and twenty-two patients representing a total of 150 fingers were randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups. Patient were >18 years old with a trigger on any finger of either hand (type TT-TV) and a minimum follow-up time of 6 months. Outcome measures included cures, recurrences and failures, pain scores, total active motion [TAM], and complications.

Results: Fifty-three fingers received open surgery, 49 received percutaneous release, and 48 received percutaneous release with cortisone injection. Successful cure was achieved with all three methods in all cases with no difference in TAM, no recurrences, no nerve injury, and no infections. Topical pain and articular pain were significantly lower in the percutaneous release with cortisone injection group during the first month, topical pain slightly increased in the fourth month, and then decrease by six months. Visual Analogue Scale [VAS] scores were <1 in all groups one month after treatment.

Conclusion: Both percutaneous techniques as well as open surgery resulted in similar therapeutic efficacy with no difference in complications. The cortisone injection groups had better postoperative pain scores in the first month, but all groups had the same score after 6 months.

Keywords: Trigger finger, Trigger digit, Open trigger surgery, Percutaneous trigger surgery, Trigger thumb, Percutaneous
release trigger digit