Spontaneous recovery of trigger thumbs in children.

Forty-two children with trigger thumb were reviewed to determine the possibility of spontaneous recovery and the outcome of treatment. There were 22 boys and 20 girls. All of them had a normal physical examination at birth. Ten patients had spontaneous recovery within 3 months of their initial visit. Thirty-two patients underwent surgical release. All of them had satisfactory results. Our findings suggest that spontaneous recovery of trigger thumb in children is possible and may be related to a traumatic cause for the condition. Delaying operation until after the age of 3 years will not affect the outcome.