Hand Service, The Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, Dallas 75219, USA.
At the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, 239 trigger digits in 176 children were seen and treated surgically over a 10-year period. Trigger fingers accounted for 33 (14%) of these digits in 18 (10%) of the patients. In 8 of 18 patients (44%) the fingers continued to trigger after A-1 pulley release. In children, trigger fingers are different from trigger thumbs. Trigger fingers in children are uncommon and have variable causes, and an A-1 pulley release alone will not always correct the triggering. Additional treatments, such as resection of one or both limbs of the sublimis tendon or an A-3 pulley release, may be required. An awareness of other contributing factors and readiness to explore the entire flexor mechanism should help prevent failure of surgical treatment.