The Effects of a Structured Hand Exercise Program on Trigger Finger: A Randomized Controlled Trial

March 28, 2025 updated by: Freddy Man Hin LAM, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
To explore the effectiveness of a structured hand exercise program as a conservative treatment for trigger finger.

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

76

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Locations

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Adults with aged > 18 years old who are diagnosed with trigger finger
  • The Green classification grade 2 or grade 3
  • Pain (NPRS) equal or more than 4/10, during active triggering

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Pediatric or congenital trigger finger
  • Previously received physiotherapy, corticosteroid injection or surgery for trigger finger
  • Hand trauma, local infection or using systemic steroids due to other diseases

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Exercise
Behavioral: Exercise
Participants will receive a 6-week structured hand exercise program. Participants will attend a face-to-face exercise session to learn all hand exercises. The exercise program will include: (1) Finger flexor stretching, (2) Tendon gliding exercise and (3) Isometric finger flexor exercise. A weekly tele follow-up will be done to participants in the experimental group
No Intervention: Control
Participants will receive no intervention.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) during triggering or movement
Time Frame: Baseline, 6 weeks after baseline, 10 weeks after baseline
NPRS consists of 11-point numeric scale from '0' (no pain) to '10' (worst pain imaginable). Participants rate the pain level based on their own pain intensity from 0-10
Baseline, 6 weeks after baseline, 10 weeks after baseline

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Trigger finger stage in the Green Classification
Time Frame: Baseline, 6 weeks after baseline, 10 weeks after baseline
Green's classification for trigger finger: Grade 1 (A history of catching with local pain). Grade 2 (Demonstrable catching with normal active extension). Grade 3 (Demonstrable locking requiring passive extension). Grade 4 (Fixed flexion deformity)
Baseline, 6 weeks after baseline, 10 weeks after baseline
Frequency of triggering
Time Frame: Baseline, 6 weeks after baseline, 10 weeks after baseline
The frequency of triggering will be represented by the number of triggering events in ten active fists, from 0 to 10. Two questions will be asked: (1) What is the average number of triggering in ten active fists in the past one week? (2) What is the average number of painful triggering in ten active fists in the past one week?
Baseline, 6 weeks after baseline, 10 weeks after baseline
Functional score by Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand Questionnaire (Hong Kong version)
Time Frame: Baseline, 6 weeks after baseline, 10 weeks after baseline
Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand Questionnaire (QuickDASH) is a shorten version of the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand Questionnaire (DASH). QuickDASH consisted of 11 items to measure physical function and symptoms in patients with upper limb disorders. DASH and QuickDASH were translated into Hong Kong version. Participants must complete at least 10 of the 11 items for a score to be calculated and the scores range from 0 (no disability) to 100 (most severe disability).
Baseline, 6 weeks after baseline, 10 weeks after baseline
Grip strength of the affected hand
Time Frame: Baseline, 6 weeks after baseline, 10 weeks after baseline
Grip strength will be assessed using the American Society of Hand Therapists (ASHT) protocol. Participants will be seated in a chair without arm rests, with hips and knees in 90 degrees. Shoulder holds in adduction and neutral rotation. Elbow holds in 90 degrees flexion with forearm in neutral rotation. Participants grip the dynamometer in 15-30 degrees wrist extension and 0-15 degrees of ulnar deviation. Participants will be asked to grip the dynamometer as hard as they can for 3 trials. The mean of the 3 trials will be recorded as the grip strength in kg.
Baseline, 6 weeks after baseline, 10 weeks after baseline
Structural changes using musculoskeletal ultrasound (A1 pulley thickness, flexor tendon thicknesses, A1 pulley lumen size)
Time Frame: Baseline, 6 weeks after baseline, 10 weeks after baseline
Musculoskeletal ultrasound with a linear transducer (12MHz probe) will be used to evaluate the structural outcome measures.
Baseline, 6 weeks after baseline, 10 weeks after baseline

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

April 15, 2025

Primary Completion (Estimated)

January 1, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

August 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

March 28, 2025

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 28, 2025

First Posted (Actual)

April 4, 2025

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

April 4, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 28, 2025

Last Verified

March 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • HSEARS20241227004

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

The study data can be provided via contacting the Principal Investigator

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • STUDY_PROTOCOL
  • SAP
  • ICF
  • CSR

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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