Yutaka Mifune1, Atsuyuki Inui2, Ryosuke Sakata2, Yoshifumi Harada2, Fumiaki Takase2, Masahiro Kurosaka2, Takeshi Kokubu2. 1. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-2, Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, 650-0017, Japan. m-ship@kf7.so-net.ne.jp. 2. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-2, Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, 650-0017, Japan.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: No studies have reported the use of ultrasound for the evaluation of trigger finger after steroid injection. We evaluated the clinical features and ultrasound appearance of trigger finger before and after steroid injection under ultrasound guidance. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-eight digits with triggering were included. A single steroid injection into the tendon sheath was administered. Ultrasound findings and clinical symptoms, including pain, triggering, and the Quinnell score, were analyzed before injection and at 1 and 3 weeks after injection. RESULTS: Ultrasound indicated that the thickness of the flexor tendons and the thickness of A1 pulleys were significantly greater in the trigger fingers than in controls before steroid injection. Three weeks after injection, these two parameters decreased, and there was no significant difference in the two parameters between the trigger finger and the controls. The visual analogue scales at 1 and 3 weeks after the injection were significantly lower than those before the injection. The Quinnell grading system scores significantly improved at 1 and 3 weeks after injection compared with the scores before injection. Moreover, a tendency was seen for the more clinically severe cases to show more swelling of the tendon and pulley. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, ultrasound assessments could reveal that the thickened A1 pulley and flexor tendon significantly improved after steroid injection, which enables us to confirm the therapeutic effects of the steroid injection. Therefore, ultrasound assessments can be a useful adjunct to understand the response to treatment with the steroid injection.
OBJECTIVE: No studies have reported the use of ultrasound for the evaluation of trigger finger after steroid injection. We evaluated the clinical features and ultrasound appearance of trigger finger before and after steroid injection under ultrasound guidance. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-eight digits with triggering were included. A single steroid injection into the tendon sheath was administered. Ultrasound findings and clinical symptoms, including pain, triggering, and the Quinnell score, were analyzed before injection and at 1 and 3 weeks after injection. RESULTS: Ultrasound indicated that the thickness of the flexor tendons and the thickness of A1 pulleys were significantly greater in the trigger fingers than in controls before steroid injection. Three weeks after injection, these two parameters decreased, and there was no significant difference in the two parameters between the trigger finger and the controls. The visual analogue scales at 1 and 3 weeks after the injection were significantly lower than those before the injection. The Quinnell grading system scores significantly improved at 1 and 3 weeks after injection compared with the scores before injection. Moreover, a tendency was seen for the more clinically severe cases to show more swelling of the tendon and pulley. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, ultrasound assessments could reveal that the thickened A1 pulley and flexor tendon significantly improved after steroid injection, which enables us to confirm the therapeutic effects of the steroid injection. Therefore, ultrasound assessments can be a useful adjunct to understand the response to treatment with the steroid injection.
Authors: Luca Maria Sconfienza; Miraude Adriaensen; Domenico Albano; Maria Pilar Aparisi Gómez; Alberto Bazzocchi; Ian Beggs; Bianca Bignotti; Vito Chianca; Angelo Corazza; Danoob Dalili; Miriam De Dea; Jose Luis Del Cura; Francesco Di Pietto; Eleni Drakonaki; Fernando Facal de Castro; Dimitrios Filippiadis; Jan Gielen; Salvatore Gitto; Harun Gupta; Andrea S Klauser; Radhesh Lalam; Silvia Martin; Carlo Martinoli; Giovanni Mauri; Catherine McCarthy; Eugene McNally; Kalliopi Melaki; Carmelo Messina; Rebeca Mirón Mombiela; Benedikt Neubauer; Marina Obradov; Cyprian Olchowy; Davide Orlandi; Athena Plagou; Raquel Prada Gonzalez; Saulius Rutkauskas; Ziga Snoj; Alberto Stefano Tagliafico; Alexander Talaska; Violeta Vasilevska-Nikodinovska; Jelena Vucetic; David Wilson; Federico Zaottini; Marcello Zappia; Georgina Allen Journal: Eur Radiol Date: 2019-12-16 Impact factor: 5.315
Authors: Edgar Leonardo Martinez-Salazar; Joao R T Vicentini; Anne H Johnson; Martin Torriani Journal: Skeletal Radiol Date: 2017-12-28 Impact factor: 2.199