Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40370001›Full record

ArticleThe Permanente journal2025

Choice of Corticosteroid Is Associated With the Possibility of Subsequent Surgery for Trigger Finger: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Todd A Theman, Bradley Frueh, Brandon Horton, Lawrence Cai, Julie A Schmittdiel

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in The Permanente journal, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Todd A ThemanKaiser Permanente, Santa Clara Medical Center, Santa Clara, CA, USA.
Bradley FruehKaiser Permanente Northern California, Division of Research, Pleasanton, CA, USA.
Brandon HortonKaiser Permanente Northern California, Division of Research, Pleasanton, CA, USA.
Lawrence CaiSchool of Medicine, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA.
Julie A SchmittdielKaiser Permanente Northern California, Division of Research, Pleasanton, CA, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-8995-5345

Funding

Translational Research Core - Health Engagement & Action Translational (HEAT)P30DK092924 · NIDDK · KAISER FOUNDATION RESEARCH INSTITUTE · PI Alyce Sophia Adams, HILARY Kessler SELIGMAN · 2011 to 2026
$9.2M
NIDDK NIH HHS P30 DK092924
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionTrigger finger is one of the most common conditions treated by hand surgeons. Although corticosteroid injection is a common first-line treatment, there is no consensus regarding the most effective type of steroid.

methodsThe authors performed a retrospective cohort study of patients with a diagnosis of trigger finger within Kaiser Permanente Northern California, a large, community-based, integrated health system with a comprehensive electronic medical record. Patients were potentially exposed to 4 different steroid regimens: betamethasone, dexamethasone, methylprednisolone, and triamcinolone. The primary outcome was the possibility of subsequent trigger finger surgery following initial corticosteroid treatment.

resultsAmong 20,141 patients with an injection for trigger finger diagnosis, 1668 (8.3%) had a trigger finger release procedure following injection. Compared with patients injected with triamcinolone, dexamethasone patients had a hazard ratio of 4.12 for surgery (95% confidence interval [CI], 3.06-5.54), betamethasone patients had a hazard ratio of 2.40 (95% CI, 1.86-3.10), and methylprednisolone had a hazard ratio of 1.77 (95% CI, 1.32-2.37). DISCUSSION: This large, retrospective observational study suggests that the type of corticosteroid used for trigger finger may influence the possibility of subsequent surgery.

conclusionsThis information may inform corticosteroid choice for treating trigger finger, but findings should be confirmed in a prospective study.

Indexed as

Adrenal Cortex HormonesGlucocorticoidsTrigger Finger DisorderAdultAgedBetamethasoneCaliforniaDexamethasoneFemaleHumansMaleMethylprednisoloneMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesTriamcinoloneAdrenal Cortex HormonesBetamethasoneDexamethasoneGlucocorticoidsMethylprednisoloneTriamcinolonecorticosteroidsurgerytrigger finger

Identifiers

PMID40370001
PMCPMC12168043

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.