Trigger finger occurs due to sheath inflammation or nodules near which pulley?

Study for the NBCOT Hand Injuries and Intervention Test. Prepare with flashcards and multiple choice questions, each question offers hints and explanations. Get ready for success!

Multiple Choice

Trigger finger occurs due to sheath inflammation or nodules near which pulley?

Trigger finger is caused by stenosing tenosynovitis of the flexor tendon sheath, most often at the first annular pulley near the metacarpophalangeal joint. Thickening of this pulley narrows the space under it, so the flexor tendon can’t glide smoothly and catches or locks during flexion, then releases as it passes the pulley. This site is the classic location because it’s the narrowest point where tendon movement is most restricted. Pulleys further along the finger aren’t the usual source of triggering, and the problem isn’t the tendon itself but the pulley mechanism that constrains it.

Trigger finger is caused by stenosing tenosynovitis of the flexor tendon sheath, most often at the first annular pulley near the metacarpophalangeal joint. Thickening of this pulley narrows the space under it, so the flexor tendon can’t glide smoothly and catches or locks during flexion, then releases as it passes the pulley. This site is the classic location because it’s the narrowest point where tendon movement is most restricted. Pulleys further along the finger aren’t the usual source of triggering, and the problem isn’t the tendon itself but the pulley mechanism that constrains it.

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