Comparative study of two surgical methods for pediatric trigger thumb

Abstract

Objective To evaluate and compare the treatment outcomes of A1 pulley incision and A1 pulley excision in pediatric trigger thumb. Methods A prospective study was conducted from May 2008 to May 2015 in 147 patients (mean age of 32.3 months) who underwent open surgical treatment for trigger thumb. They were divided into two groups, one with A1 pulley incision (I group) and one with A1 pulley excision (E group). All patients underwent short-term postoperative observation and long-term questionnaires after the surgery to compare the operating time, recurrent rate, postoperative complications and postoperative range of motion of thumbs in two groups. Results The average operating time was 10.1 minutes and 10.4 minutes in the E group and I group, respectively (P=0.15). The total recurrent rate was 2.5% (E group: 3.7% and I group: 1.3%; P=0.17). 97.5% thumbs had a perfect or good postoperative range of motion (E group: 96.3% and I group: 98.7%; P=0.17). There were no long-term surgical complications in either group. Conclusion Open surgical incision and excision of the A1 pulley were safe and effective techniques for pediatric trigger thumb treatment. Key words: Child; Surgical procedures,operative; Trigger thumb