Treatment of the Trigger Finger with Triamcinolone Injection of Diabetic and Nondiabetic Patients

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate whether triamcinolone injection into the flexor tendon sheath was as effective in alleviating the symptoms of trigger finger in patients with diabetic mellitus as it was in nondiabetic patients.

Method: A descriptive prospective study was performed during May 2009 to August 2011, 122 trigger finger patients (157 digits) were divided into two groups as follows, group 1: 22 diabetics patients (35 digits) and group 2 : 100 nondiabetic patients (122 digits). Both groups were treated by triamcinolone injection into the flexor tendon sheath. The primary outcomes were success rate, surgical rate and side effects. The outcomes were statistically analyzed.

Results: The success rate after two injections was statistically significantly lower in the diabetic group compared with the nondiabetic group. (80% and 94.3% respectively, p = 0.016). The surgical rate was statistically significantly higher in the diabetic group compared with the nondiabetic group. (20% and 5.7% respectively, p = 0.016) There was no complication of triamcinolone injection in both groups.