Night Splinting for Idiopathic Trigger Digits

Abstract

Background: This study assessed nighttime splinting for 6 weeks as treatment for recent onset idiopathic trigger fingers.

Methods: Patients over 18 years with a Quinnell grade 1 or 2, idiopathic trigger finger or thumb causing symptoms for less than 3 months were eligible for a custom-made hand-based orthoplast night orthotic. Improvement of symptoms and/or resolution of triggering were recorded. Patients also completed the short version of the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand and a numerical rating scale for pain at the initial visit, after 6 to 8 weeks, and after 3 months.

Results: Thirty-four patients wore a night orthotic for at least 6 weeks. At final evaluation, there was a substantial reduction in disability and pain. Symptoms of triggering resolved completely in 18 patients (55%). Sixteen patients did not resolve their triggering after splinting and therefore underwent a steroid injection.

Conclusion: Night splinting is a noninvasive treatment option for idiopathic trigger fingers/thumb with symptoms for less than 3 months.

Keywords: QuickDASH; night splint; treatment; trigger finger.

Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting Interests: The author(s) declared the following potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: DCR received funding from Skeletal Dynamics, Wright Medical, deputy editor for Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research, universities and hospitals and from lawyers for expert review. The other authors had no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1.

Volar view of night orthotic.

Figure 2.

Dorsal view of night orthotic.

Figure 3.

Thumb orthotic.