Dr. Vikash Kapoor

Trigger Finger

Man is unique amongst all vertebrates by the presence of his hand - "mannus" and even derives his name from this specialized structure. The pediatric hand is a miniature yet constantly growing version of the adult hand and this growing feature is an important consideration in the diagnosis and proper timing of treatment of pediatric hand problems. There are some essential differences between problems in the adult hand and those in the pediatric hand. The smaller size, developing musculoskeletal system and activities of children contribute to making such problems difficult to tackle. The common problems encountered by physicians and surgeons treating children most can be classified as:

A) Congenital malformations: e.g. Syndactyly, radial club hand, Polydactyly, etc

B) Developmental: trigger digits, especially thumb

C) Traumatic: Fractures, including Pathological fractures, Physeal injuries

D) Infective: Acute & Chronic Osteomyelitis, soft tissue infections

E) Inflammatory: Arthritis (Juvenile Rheumatoid, Reactive, etc)

F) Neosplastic: bone cysts, exostosis

G) Metabolic: Rickets / scurvy

H) Neurological problems

I) Miscellaneous