Reviewed on : 9 Sep 2021

Reviewed by : Lucy Dyde Coventry & Warwickshire CCG IFR, Gateway Editor & Lee Fraser

Expires : 9 Sep 2023

Trigger Finger – Adults

Prior approval from the Clinical Commissioning Group will be required before any treatment proceeds in secondary care.

Management should be in accordance with British Society for Surgery of the Hand recommendations1:

Classification

Mild (“pre-triggering”)

• History of pain or of catching or “click”
• Tender A1 pulley; but fully mobile finger

Moderate

Triggering with:

• Difficulty actively extending finger
• Need for passive finger extension
• Loss of complete active flexion

Severe

• Fixed contracture

Treatment

Prior approval from the CCG will be required before any treatment proceeds in secondary care. 

Refer to Secondary Care provider via RSS using the appropriate Prior Approval Referral Form.

Eligibility Criteria

Mild cases of trigger finger which cause no loss of function require no treatment or avoidance of activities which precipitate triggering and may resolve spontaneously.

Cases interfering with activities or causing pain should first be treated with non-operative measures one or two steroid injections, which are typically successful (strong evidence), but the problem may recur, especially in diabetics OR splinting of the affected finger for 3-12 weeks (weak evidence).

1. Please confirm that the patient meets the criteria for ONE of the following sections:

Section a

The triggering persists or recurs after one of the non-operative measures (particularly steroid injections)

Section b

The patient has finger permanently locked in the palm

Section c

The patient has previously had 2 other trigger digits unsuccessfully treated with appropriate non-operative methods

The patient is a diagnosed diabetic

Refer to Adult Physiotherapy Service – Coventry

If patients have triggering of one or several of the digits refer for a steroid injection using the normal Adult Physiotherapy pathway via the ‘NHS eReferral Service’.

Here they will be triaged into an appropriate injection slot by the clinician.

Splints or Physiotherapy are not provided for triggering of digits.

If patient have had > 2 injections into the same digit with no improvement please send to Orthopaedics for consideration of a release.