ABSTRACT
Objective The present paper aims to evaluate the therapeutic planning for trigger finger by Brazilian orthopedists. Methods This is a cross-sectional study with a population composed of participants from the 2018 Brazilian Congress on Orthopedics and Traumatology (CBOT-2018, in the Portuguese acronym), who answered a questionnaire about the conduct adopted for trigger finger diagnosis and treatment. Results A total of 243 participants were analyzed, with an average age of 37.46 years old; most participants were male (88%), with at least 1 year of experience (55.6%) and from Southeast Brazil (68.3%). Questionnaire analysis revealed a consensus on the following issues: diagnosis based on physical examination alone (73.3%), use of the Quinnell classification modified by Green (58.4%), initial nonsurgical treatment (91.4%), infiltration of steroids combined with an anesthetic agent (61.7%), nonsurgical treatment time ranging from 1 to 3 months (52.3%), surgical treatment using the open approach (84.4%), mainly the transverse open approach (51%), triggering recurrence as the main nonsurgical complication (58%), and open surgery success in > 90% of the cases (63%), with healing intercurrences (54%) as the main complication. There was no consensus on the remaining variables. Orthopedists with different practicing times disagree on treatment duration ( p = 0.013) and on the complication rate of open surgery ( p = 0.010). Conclusions Brazilian orthopedists prefer to diagnose trigger finger with physical examination alone, to classify it according to the Quinnell method modified by Green, to institute an initial nonsurgical treatment, to perform infiltrations with steroids and local anesthetic agents, to sustain the nonsurgical treatment for 1 to 3 months, and to perform the surgical treatment using a transverse open approach; in addition, they state that the main nonsurgical complication was triggering recurrence, and report open surgery success in > 90% of the cases, with healing intercurrences as the main complication.
ABSTRACT
Abstract Objective The present paper aims to evaluate the therapeutic planning for trigger finger by Brazilian orthopedists. Methods This is a cross-sectional study with a population composed of participants from the 2018 Brazilian Congress on Orthopedics and Traumatology (CBOT-2018, in the Portuguese acronym), who answered a questionnaire about the conduct adopted for trigger finger diagnosis and treatment. Results A total of 243 participants were analyzed, with an average age of 37.46 years old; most participants were male (88%), with at least 1 year of experience (55.6%) and from Southeast Brazil (68.3%). Questionnaire analysis revealed a consensus on the following issues: diagnosis based on physical examination alone (73.3%), use of the Quinnell classification modified by Green (58.4%), initial nonsurgical treatment (91.4%), infiltration of steroids combined with an anesthetic agent (61.7%), nonsurgical treatment time ranging from 1 to 3 months (52.3%), surgical treatment using the open approach (84.4%), mainly the transverse open approach (51%), triggering recurrence as the main nonsurgical complication (58%), and open surgery success in > 90% of the cases (63%), with healing intercurrences (54%) as the main complication. There was no consensus on the remaining variables. Orthopedists with different practicing times disagree on treatment duration (p = 0.013) and on the complication rate of open surgery (p = 0.010). Conclusions Brazilian orthopedists prefer to diagnose trigger finger with physical examination alone, to classify it according to the Quinnell method modified by Green, to institute an initial nonsurgical treatment, to perform infiltrations with steroids and local anesthetic agents, to sustain the nonsurgical treatment for 1 to 3 months, and to perform the surgical treatment using a transverse open approach; in addition, they state that the main nonsurgical complication was triggering recurrence, and report open surgery success in > 90% of the cases, with healing intercurrences as the main complication.
Resumo Objetivo Avaliar o planejamento terapêutico para o dedo em gatilho por ortopedistas brasileiros. Métodos Estudo transversal, cuja população foi composta por participantes do Congresso Brasileiro de Ortopedia e Traumatologia 2018 (CBOT-2018). Foi aplicado um questionário sobre a conduta adotada no diagnóstico e tratamento do dedo em gatilho. Resultados Foram analisados 243 participantes com média de idade de 37.46 anos, na maioria homens (88%), tempo de experiência de pelo menos 1 ano (55,6%), e da região Sudeste (68.3%). A análise dos questionários evidenciou que há consenso nos seguintes quesitos: diagnóstico somente com exame físico (73,3%), classificação de Quinnell modificada por Green (58,4%), tratamento inicial não cirúrgico (91,4%), infiltração de corticoide com anestésico (61,7%) tempo de tratamento não cirúrgico de 1 a 3 meses (52,3%), tratamento cirúrgico pela via aberta (84,4%), principalmente via aberta transversa (51%), recidiva do engatilhamento como principal complicação não cirúrgica (58%), e o sucesso da cirurgia aberta em > 90% (63%), sendo a sua principal complicação as complicações cicatriciais (54%). Sem consenso nas demais variáveis. De acordo com a experiência, foram observadas diferenças referentes ao tempo de tratamento (p = 0.013) e a taxa de complicação da cirurgia aberta (p = 0.010). Conclusões O ortopedista brasileiro tem preferência pelo diagnóstico do dedo em gatilho apenas com exame físico, classifica segundo Quinnell modificado por Green, tratamento inicial não cirúrgico, infiltrações com corticoide e anestésico local, tempo de tratamento não cirúrgico de 1 a 3 meses, tratamento cirúrgico por via aberta transversa, principal complicação não cirúrgica a recidiva do engatilhamento, e considera o sucesso da cirurgia aberta em > 90% dos casos, tendo como principal complicação as complicações cicatriciais.