A1 Pulley Stretching Along With Tendon Gliding Exercises in Post-operative Patients of Trigger Finger

NCT07482397 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: REC/RCR & AHS/24/01110
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 30
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The study was conducted to determine the synergistic effects of A1 pulley stretching along with tendon gliding exercises on pain, range of motion, and hand grip strength in post-operative patients of trigger finger

Conditions

Trigger Finger

Keywords

Trigger finger; A1 pulley stretching; Tendon- glinding exercises; postoperative rehabilitation; Range of motion; Grip strength; Randomized controlled trial

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (3)

• Numeric Pain Rating Scale

  Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) is used to determine the level of pain in a patient. It gives people an opportunity to self-report their pain levels using a scale of zero to ten, with 0 being the absence of pain and 10 being the worst that can happen. The scale is divided into categories, 1-3 mild pain, 4-6 moderate pain, and 7- 10 severe pain.

  From enrollment to end of treatment 6 weeks

• Universal Goniometer

  goniometer is a device that is widely utilized in orthopedics and physical therapy to estimate the range of motion of a joint (ROM) and to diagnose range restrictions.

  From enrollment to the end of treatment at 6 weeks.

• Hand dynamometer

  A hand dynamometer is a tool that is used to measure the grip strength and give a quantitative measure of the muscle activity in the hand and forearm. Through pressing of the handle of the device, the user can measure the force used, and the clinicians can observe the progress and see the changes in the rehabilitation

  From enrollment to the end of treatment for 6 weeks.

Study Arms (2)

A1 pulley stretching along with tendon gliding exercises

EXPERIMENTAL

Other: A1 pulley stretching; Other: Tendon Gliding exercises; Other: Standard physiotherapy treatment

Tendon gliding exercises

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Other: Tendon Gliding exercises; Other: Standard physiotherapy treatment

Interventions

A1 pulley stretching OTHER

Participants comfortably seated with the arm supported on a table. The right palm placed on the couch, and the middle fingers positioned alternately on a wooden block at a 45° angle. Participants flex the middle finger while the therapist provides resistance to induce an isometric contraction. Duration and Repetitions: * Each stretch: 15-30 seconds * 10 repetitions per session * sets with 30-60 seconds rest Frequency: Three times per week during therapy sessions

A1 pulley stretching along with tendon gliding exercises

Tendon Gliding exercises OTHER

5 glide × 3 sets: * Open Palm * Hook Fist * Tabletop * Half Fist * Full Fist Each glide is performed in a controlled, pain-free manner. Frequency: Three weekly supervised sessions.

A1 pulley stretching along with tendon gliding exercises; Tendon gliding exercises

Standard physiotherapy treatment OTHER

Heat therapy gloves for 10 minutes TENS with frequency of 80-100 Hz at low intensity having pulse duration of 50-80μs for 10 minutes. Paraffin wax bath at 52 degree centigrade 10 times for 15 minutes a day.

A1 pulley stretching along with tendon gliding exercises; Tendon gliding exercises

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 36 Years - 60 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Both gender male and female
• Age 35 ≤ 60
• Patients with clear wound and removed stitched
• Symptoms of locking finger for more than 6 months
• Positive Hueston tabletop test
• NPRS score of 4 to 7

You may not qualify if:

• Finger joint problem by joint fracture
• Recent trauma
• Presence of open wound, local infection
• Known case of tumor
• Congenital and autoimmune disorders

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Riphah International University: lead

Study Sites (1)

District Headquarters Hospital

Toba Tek Singh, Punjab Province, 36050, Pakistan

Location

Related Publications (10)

• Saito T, Nakamichi R, Nakahara R, Nishida K, Ozaki T. The Effectiveness of Rehabilitation after Open Surgical Release for Trigger Finger: A Prospective, Randomized, Controlled Study. J Clin Med. 2023 Nov 20;12(22):7187. doi: 10.3390/jcm12227187.

  PMID: 38002801 BACKGROUND

• Abdolrazaghi H, Ramin M, Molaei H. Comparison the Range of Motion Following Early Versus Late Active Mobilization after Repairing Surgery on Flexor Tendon Injury in the Zone II: A Randomized Clinical Trial. World J Plast Surg. 2023;12(2):29-33. doi: 10.52547/wjps.12.2.29.

  PMID: 38130384 BACKGROUND

• Tanaka S, Uehara K, Sugimura R, Miura T, Ohe T, Tanaka S, Morizaki Y. Evaluation of the first annular pulley stretch effect under isometric contraction of the flexor tendon in healthy volunteers and trigger finger patients using ultrasonography. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2021 May 6;22(1):421. doi: 10.1186/s12891-021-04299-1.

  PMID: 33957913 BACKGROUND

• Dardas AZ, VandenBerg J, Shen T, Gelberman RH, Calfee RP. Long-Term Effectiveness of Repeat Corticosteroid Injections for Trigger Finger. J Hand Surg Am. 2017 Apr;42(4):227-235. doi: 10.1016/j.jhsa.2017.02.001.

  PMID: 28372638 BACKGROUND

• Nadar MS. Orthosis vs. exercise for the treatment of adult idiopathic trigger fingers: A randomized clinical trial. Prosthet Orthot Int. 2024 Dec 1;48(6):713-719. doi: 10.1097/PXR.0000000000000294. Epub 2023 Oct 20.

  PMID: 37870373 BACKGROUND

• Yamazaki A, Matsuura Y, Kuniyoshi K, Suzuki T, Akasaka T, Ozone E, Matsuyama Y, Mukai M, Yamazaki T, Ohara T, Sasho T, Ohtori S. A1 pulley stretching treats trigger finger: A1 pulley luminal region under digital flexor tendon traction. Clin Biomech (Bristol). 2020 Feb;72:136-140. doi: 10.1016/j.clinbiomech.2019.11.018. Epub 2019 Dec 7.

  PMID: 31865255 BACKGROUND

• Ahmed E, Atteya MR, Alansari A, Youssef R, Ismail R, Safoury YA, Alrawaili SM, Abutaleb E, Eldesoky M. A randomized controlled trial comparing controlled active motion and early passive mobilization protocols for rehabilitation of repaired flexor tendons in zone II. J Hand Ther. 2025 Oct-Dec;38(4):817-824. doi: 10.1016/j.jht.2025.02.014. Epub 2025 Mar 15.

  PMID: 40090773 BACKGROUND

• Minkhorst K, Munn A, MacDermid J, Grewal R. Does Orthosis Improve Outcomes of Conservative Treatment in Trigger Fingers? A 3-Arm Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2025 Dec;106(12):1798-1806. doi: 10.1016/j.apmr.2025.05.015. Epub 2025 May 29.

  PMID: 40449569 BACKGROUND

• Lunsford D, Valdes K, Hengy S. Conservative management of trigger finger: A systematic review. J Hand Ther. 2019 Apr-Jun;32(2):212-221. doi: 10.1016/j.jht.2017.10.016. Epub 2017 Dec 28.

  PMID: 29290504 BACKGROUND

• Chevalley S, Wangberg V, Ahlen M, Stromberg J, Bjorkman A. Passive Mobilization With Place-and-Hold Versus Active Mobilization Therapy After Flexor Tendon Repair: 5-Year Minimum Follow-Up of a Randomized Controlled Trial. J Hand Surg Am. 2024 Dec;49(12):1165-1172. doi: 10.1016/j.jhsa.2024.08.011. Epub 2024 Oct 5.

  PMID: 39365244 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Trigger Finger Disorder

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Tendon Entrapment; Tendinopathy; Muscular Diseases; Musculoskeletal Diseases

Study Officials

• Humera Mubashar

  Riphah International University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: February 23, 2026
• First Posted: March 19, 2026
• Study Start: January 13, 2025
• Primary Completion: May 31, 2025
• Study Completion: October 31, 2025
• Last Updated: March 19, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-03

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

PA (1)