What this study is
The goal of this clinical trial is to compare two different skin incisions used in surgery to treat trigger finger in adult patients. Trigger finger occurs when a finger gets stuck or locks because of swelling of the sheath around the tendons the help move the fingers. The main questions it aims to answer are (1) Does the type of skin cut affect how well the hand works 6 weeks after surgery? (2) Does the type of skin cut affect pain levels, scar healing, and how quickly people return to their normal activities? Orthopaedic surgeons will compare a straight incision along the finger (longitudinal incision) to a incision across the crease in the palm (transverse incision) to see if one type of incision results in better recovery, less pain, a better scar, and higher patient satisfaction with the procedure. Participants who have trigger finger and are indicated for surgery will have surgery to release the pulley in their finger using one of the two types of incisions (assigned by chance). Participants will fill out questionnaires about their hand function and pain before surgery and at follow-up visits. Participants will have their scar checked and rated at about 2, 6, and 12 weeks after surgery, and report on their pain for the first few days after surgery and when they can return to work and move their finger without pain.
What's being tested
- Open A1 Pulley Release
Intervention · PROCEDURE
Surgical release of the first annular (A1) pulley to treat stenosing tenosynovitis (trigger finger). Participants receive either a longitudinal or transverse incision based on their randomized arm assignment. All other aspects of surgical technique and post-operative care are standardized.
Study details
- Official title
- Incision Decision: A Prospective Randomized Trial Comparing Longitudinal vs. Transverse A1 Pulley Release Outcomes
- Sponsor
- Washington University School of Medicine
- Conditions
- Trigger Finger · Stenosing Tenosynovitis
- Enrolling
- 200 people
- Starts
- 2026-04-01
- Est. completion
- 2028-03-30
- Design
- Open-label, randomized, parallel groups
- Record
- View on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
Who can join
Age 18 Years and overSex ALLHealthy volunteers Not acceptedYou may qualify if
- Adult patients (age ≥ 18 years)
- Diagnosed with trigger finger (stenosing tenosynovitis) of a finger (excluding the thumb)
- Written informed consent obtained
You can't join if
- Revision surgery
- Previous surgery on the affected finger
- Patients refusing consent
Sign in and we'll check these against your records.Full criteria on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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Study locations (2)
2 openThe University of Chicago Medicine
Chicago, Illinois, United States
- Jennifer Wolf, MD · Contact773-834-3531jwolf@bsd.uchicago.edu
- Oluwafemi Afolabi, Administrative Specialist · Contact773-702-6254oluwafemi.afolabi@bsd.uchicago.edu
- Jennifer Wolf, MD · Principal investigator
RecruitingWashington University and Barnes-Jewish Orthopedic Center
St Louis, Missouri, United States
- Alli Rittenhouse · Contact(314) 747-2652allir@wustl.edu
- Matthew Berning · Contact(314) 514-3500berning@wustl.edu
- Jason Strelzow, MD · Principal investigator
- Ryan Calfee, MD · Sub-investigator
- Nisha N Kale, MD · Sub-investigator
Recruiting
Study team
Sponsor
Washington University School of Medicine
Study ID 202506034
Principal investigator
Jason Strelzow, MD
Associate Professor, Orthopaedic Surgery Division of Hand and Microsurgery, Washington University in St Louis
Study chair
Ryan Calfee, MD
Professor, Orthopaedic Surgery Division of Hand and Microsurgery Chief, Hand and Microsurgery Service Medical Director, Washington University and Barnes-Jewish Orthopedic Center
Study director
Nisha N Kale, MD
Washington University in St. Louis Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
Frequently asked questions
The sponsor hasn't published answers to common questions for this trial.