Time to Resolution of Triggering after Steroid Injection for First Presentation Trigger Digits

Abstract

Background: Steroid injection is a proven treatment for trigger digits. The time taken for resolution of triggering following an injection is a question often asked by patients and one that has not been adequately addressed in existing literature. The aim of this study was to determine the time taken for triggering to resolve after a single steroid injection in patients presenting for the first time with a trigger digit. Methods: A prospective study was conducted in patients with first presentation of a grade II or grade III trigger digit(s) that received a steroid injection. Data with regards to age, gender, digit(s) involved, duration of symptoms, trigger grade, and presence of diabetes were collected. They were given a stamped addressed postcard with instructions to fill in the date that the triggering resolved and mail the postcard back to us. If the postcard was not received at three weeks, we contacted the patient by telephone to ask for the date of resolution of trigger. Results: 56 patients with 66 trigger digits were included in the study. 52 out of 66 digits (79%) had resolution of the trigger at one month. The mean duration for resolution of trigger was 8.8 days (range 1–30 days). Conclusions: Patients can be counselled that a steroid injection is effective in resolving the trigger in 79% of trigger digits presenting for the first time and that the mean time taken for resolution of triggering is 8.8 days. It is recommended to wait for at least one month before considering another injection or alternative treatments.

Day-by-day symptom relief after corticosteroid injection for trigger digit: a randomized controlled study of two techniques

“…While they found that 82% had complete improvement in pain and 65% triggering at 3 weeks, our corresponding results were 78% and 45%, respectively. Furthermore, Yak et al (2020) reported resolution of triggering in 79% of the patients within a month, and our results are consistent with these findings (81% in the PP group and 81% in the A1 group). However, while they reported that the mean number of days to resolution was 8.8, the patients in our study reported a significantly longer duration (21 days in the PP group and 20 days in the A1 group).…”

“…While they found that 82% had complete improvement in pain and 65% triggering at 3 weeks, our corresponding results were 78% and 45%, respectively. Furthermore, Yak et al. (2020) reported resolution of triggering in 79% of the patients within a month, and our results are consistent with these findings (81% in the PP group and 81% in the A1 group).…”

“…Furthermore, there are few studies that focus on the time aspect of symptom relief after this treatment. One study showed that triggering was resolved in 79% of the patients within a month and that the mean number of days to resolution of trigger phenomenon was 8.8 (Yak et al., 2020); another found that most patients experience relief of pain and triggering by 3 weeks after injection, with triggering lagging behind pain relief (Seigerman et al., 2021).…”

Does Anesthetic Relief Correspond to Future Pain Relief?

“…32 Hay et al 33 showed that there was a single-day, transient increase in pain after lateral epicondyle corticosteroid injection but did not mention when pain improved. Yak et al 34 provided their trigger finger patients a stamped addressed postcard to mail back the day their triggering resolved but did not answer the question of time to pain relief. Our study contributes insight into expected time to onset of corticosteroid-associated pain relief.…”