Betamethasone vs Dextrose Injections in Trigger Finger

June 27, 2026 updated by: Merve Yıldız, Istanbul University - Cerrahpasa

Comparison of Ultrasound-Guided Betamethasone and Dextrose Injections in the Treatment of Trigger Finger: A Randomized Controlled Trial

This study aims to compare the effectiveness of ultrasound-guided betamethasone and dextrose injections in patients with trigger finger.

Trigger finger is a common hand condition characterized by pain, clicking, and locking of the finger due to tendon entrapment at the A1 pulley. Corticosteroid injections are widely used as a first-line treatment; however, they may be associated with potential side effects.

Dextrose injection is an alternative treatment that may promote tissue healing through regenerative mechanisms. However, there is limited high-quality evidence regarding its effectiveness in trigger finger.

In this randomized controlled trial, patients will be assigned to receive either betamethasone or dextrose injection under ultrasound guidance. The primary outcome will be pain intensity measured by the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS). Secondary outcomes will include triggering severity, hand function, grip and pinch strength, and fine motor skills evaluated over a 12-week follow-up period.

The results of this study may help determine whether dextrose injection is a safe and effective alternative to corticosteroid treatment in trigger finger.

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Trigger finger, also known as stenosing tenosynovitis, is a common hand disorder characterized by pain, catching, and locking of the affected digit due to impaired gliding of the flexor tendon at the A1 pulley. It can significantly impair hand function and quality of life.

Corticosteroid injections are widely accepted as an effective first-line treatment for trigger finger. However, potential adverse effects such as skin atrophy, tendon rupture, and systemic effects, particularly in patients with metabolic disorders, have led to increasing interest in alternative treatment options.

Dextrose injection has emerged as a potential alternative treatment modality in musculoskeletal disorders. However, there is limited high-quality evidence evaluating its effectiveness in trigger finger.

The aim of this prospective, randomized controlled trial is to compare the clinical effectiveness of ultrasound-guided betamethasone injection and dextrose injection in patients with trigger finger.

Eligible participants aged 18 to 75 years with clinically diagnosed trigger finger of at least 4 weeks' duration will be enrolled. Patients will be randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group will receive an ultrasound-guided injection of 1 ml lidocaine and 1 ml betamethasone, while the other group will receive an ultrasound-guided injection of 1 ml lidocaine and 1 ml 30% dextrose solution (resulting in a final concentration of 15% dextrose). All injections will be performed under sterile conditions at the A1 pulley level.

The study is designed as a randomized, participant-, injector-, and assessor-blinded trial. The injector will be blinded to the injectate using opaque-covered syringes. Randomization will be performed by an independent researcher who will not be involved in outcome assessment.

The primary outcome of the study is the change in pain intensity, assessed using the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS).

Secondary outcomes include triggering severity assessed using the Modified Quinnell classification, functional status assessed using the Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (QuickDASH) questionnaire, grip and pinch strength, and fine motor skills evaluated with the Purdue Pegboard test.

Outcome assessments will be conducted at baseline, 1 hour, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, and 12 weeks after injection, according to the predefined schedule of each outcome measure.

This study is expected to provide high-quality evidence regarding the effectiveness of dextrose injection as a potential alternative to corticosteroid treatment in trigger finger.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

42

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

  • Turkey (Türkiye)
      • Istanbul, Turkey (Türkiye), 34098
        • Istanbul University - Cerrahpasa, Cerrahpasa Faculty of Medicine
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Merve Yıldız, MD

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:

  • Age between 18 and 75 years
  • Clinical diagnosis of trigger finger
  • Presence of symptoms for at least 4 weeks

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Previous surgery on the affected finger
  • Injection treatment to the affected finger within the previous 3 months
  • Active local or systemic infection
  • Active malignancy
  • Active inflammatory rheumatic disease (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, polymyalgia rheumatica, vasculitis)
  • Uncontrolled diabetes mellitus and/or uncontrolled hypertension
  • Autoimmune connective tissue diseases (e.g., systemic lupus erythematosus, antiphospholipid syndrome, systemic sclerosis, Sjögren syndrome, polymyositis, dermatomyositis, adult-onset Still's disease)
  • Coagulopathy that increases the risk of injection procedures
  • Pregnancy
  • Known allergy or hypersensitivity to lidocaine, betamethasone, or dextrose
  • Mental impairment or severe psychiatric disorder that may interfere with study participation or informed consent

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: Triple

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Betamethasone Injection
Participants in this arm will receive an ultrasound-guided injection of 1 ml lidocaine combined with 1 ml betamethasone at the A1 pulley level for the treatment of trigger finger.
Drug: Betamethasone
Ultrasound-guided injection of 1 ml lidocaine combined with 1 ml betamethasone administered at the A1 pulley level for the treatment of trigger finger.
Other Names:
  • Corticosteroid injection
Active Comparator: Dextrose Injection
Participants in this arm will receive an ultrasound-guided injection of 1 ml lidocaine combined with 1 ml 30% dextrose solution (final concentration 15%) at the A1 pulley level for the treatment of trigger finger.
Other: Dextrose Injection
Ultrasound-guided injection of 1 ml lidocaine combined with 1 ml 30% dextrose solution resulting in a final concentration of 15% dextrose, administered at the A1 pulley level for the treatment of trigger finger.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in pain intensity assessed by Numeric Rating Scale (NRS)
Time Frame: Baseline, 1 hour, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, and 12 weeks
Pain intensity will be evaluated using the 11-point Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), where 0 indicates no pain and 10 indicates worst imaginable pain.
Baseline, 1 hour, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, and 12 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in triggering severity assessed by Modified Quinnell classification
Time Frame: Baseline, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, and 12 weeks
Triggering severity will be evaluated using the Modified Quinnell classification system.
Baseline, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, and 12 weeks
Change in hand function assessed by QuickDASH
Time Frame: Baseline, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, and 12 weeks
Functional status will be assessed using the Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (QuickDASH) questionnaire.
Baseline, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, and 12 weeks
Change in grip strength
Time Frame: Baseline, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, and 12 weeks
Grip strength will be measured using a hand dynamometer.
Baseline, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, and 12 weeks
Change in pinch strength
Time Frame: Baseline, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, and 12 weeks
Pinch strength will be measured using a pinch meter.
Baseline, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, and 12 weeks
Change in fine motor skills assessed by Purdue Pegboard test
Time Frame: Baseline, 4 weeks, and 12 weeks
Fine motor skills and manual dexterity will be evaluated using the Purdue Pegboard test.
Baseline, 4 weeks, and 12 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Istanbul University - Cerrahpasa

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

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)

June 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

April 1, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

May 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

June 27, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 27, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

July 2, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

July 2, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 27, 2026

Last Verified

June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • TF-Dextrose-2026

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

IPD Plan Description

The investigators have not yet determined whether individual participant data (IPD) will be shared. Any future decision regarding data sharing will be made after study completion in accordance with institutional policies, ethical considerations, and applicable regulations.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

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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