Releasing bilateral thumb 'stuck tendons' for 8-month-old boy
(Baonghean.vn) - Trigger finger, also known as spring finger, is a phenomenon in which the finger moves inflexibly, stops or, more seriously, the child's finger cannot stretch itself but is in a position like the image of a "trigger".
The mother of 8-month-old TNA in Ky Anh district (Ha Tinh) often observed that baby A's thumbs had difficulty moving when trying to grasp an object. The thumbs on both sides could not return to normal and needed the parents' support to open them. Sometimes the family had to use force to straighten the fingers, sometimes causing pain to the baby.
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| Image of trigger finger. Photo: Kim Chung |
Noticing unusual signs from their child's fingers, the family took the child to the hospital.Vinh International Hospitalfor examination. After examination, the doctor diagnosed that baby A's thumbs on both hands had trigger thumb. After assessing the condition, physical therapy was no longer effective, baby A needed surgery to release the A1 pulley where the tendon was stuck.
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The surgery was performed by Dr. Tran Van Thuyen - Head of the Department of Musculoskeletal Surgery. The patient was anesthetized, the doctor made a small incision of 0.5 - 1cm to release the activity of the thumb flexor tendon located at the A1 pulley at the metacarpophalangeal joint of the thumb, helping the flexor tendon slide more easily. At the end of the surgery, the child's two thumbs moved normally like the other fingers.
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| Team of doctorsVinh International Hospitalperforming surgery on a patient with trigger finger. Photo: Kim Chung |
Trigger finger is mostly found in adults, however, the disease is also often detected in children with a rate of 3/1000 children under 1 year old; it appears more on the thumb and can be on both hands accounting for 25%. The incidence rate between men and women is equal 1:1.
According to BSCKI Tran Van Thuyen - Head of Department of Musculoskeletal Surgery,Vinh International HospitalThere are two treatments for trigger finger:
Internal Medicine - Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation:Finger extension exercises with finger extension splints are often effective for children under 1 year old.
Surgery:Performed for cases where physical therapy has not been effective in treating finger problems. This method is applicable to all ages depending on the severity of the condition.
Trigger finger is not dangerous but it will limit hand movement, greatly affecting daily activities and quality of life.
Patients should absolutely not use drugs or apply medicinal herbs on their own. Unscientific treatment can make the condition worse. When symptoms such as stiff, contracted fingers or inability to straighten them appear, go to a hospital with a musculoskeletal specialist for timely diagnosis and treatment.
