Impact of Diabetes Mellitus on the Development of Trigger Finger among Patients attending at a tertiary care hospital

Open Access

Abstract

Background: Hand disorders are common yet often under-recognized complications among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). Trigger finger is one of the most frequent manifestations and its association with glycemic control and duration of diabetes remains clinically important. This study aimed to determine the impact of diabetes mellitus on the development and characteristics of trigger finger among patients attending a tertiary care hospital. Methods & Materials: This cross-sectional observational study was conducted in the Medicine Outpatient Department of BIRDEM General Hospital over six months from November 2018 to April 2019. A total of 354 type 2 DM patients presenting with hand complaints were included using purposive convenient sampling. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square tests, with p<0.05 considered significant. Results: Among 354 diabetic patients with hand complaints, the mean age was 56.48±8.06 years and 44.07% were between 51–60 years. Trigger finger was the most common condition (50%), followed by carpal tunnel syndrome (16.1%) and De Quervain’s tenosynovitis (15.8%). Among trigger finger patients, 64.41% had diabetes for more than 5 years and 68.93% had HbA1C >6.5% (mean 7.1±2.6). Unilateral involvement was predominant (86.44%), mostly affecting the right hand (49.15%). Grade-2 severity was most frequent (57.1%). Duration of DM was significantly associated with trigger finger (p<0.02), while HbA1C distribution showed no significant difference (p=0.733). Conclusion: Trigger finger is highly prevalent among diabetic patients, particularly those with longer disease duration. Early screening and better metabolic control may help reduce its burden.