Trigger Finger - Clinical Scenario

A 52-year-old man with a 10-year history of poorly controlled type 2 diabetes presents to the outpatient clinic, distressed by frequent locking of his right middle finger when trying to open a fist. His symptoms have progressively worsened over the past 6 months, and he now has to manually straighten the finger when it locks. As a mechanic, this issue is interfering with his work. He denies any recent trauma or hand injuries but notes occasional mild swelling around the affected joint. His HbA1c is 8.5%.

Objectives:
1. Clinical examination of the hand.
2. Understanding the pathophysiology of trigger finger.
3. Clinical diagnosis of trigger finger.
4. Discussion of management options.
5. Understanding surgical indications and techniques.

Primary Contributor: Dr Kurt Lee Chircop, Educational Fellow.
Reviewer: Dr Waruguru Wanjau, Educational Fellow.