[Case control study of hook needle knife for the treatment of stenosing tenovaginitis of flexor digitorum].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect and safety of the hook needle knife for the treatment of stenosing tenovaginitis of flexor digitorum. METHODS: From September 2007 to September 2008, 60 outpatients with stenosing tenovaginitis of flexor digitorum were randomized divided into the treatment group and the control group, 30 cases in each group. Among the patients, 44 patients were female and 16 patients were male, aged from 34 to 69 years, averaged 56 years, the duration of disease ranged from 1 month to 1 year, averaged 3 months. All the patients were treated with hook needle knife and local-blocking respectively. The patients were followed up for 6 months, and the relief of moving-pain, tender-pain, stretching-pain and resist-ing--pain were observed respectively. All the patients were evaluated by the symptoms with numerical rating scale. RESULTS: The relief of moving-pain, tender-pain, stretching-pain and resisting-pain in the treatment group were significantly better than those of the control group; and the therapeutic effects of treatment group were better than those of the control group. CONCLUSION: The method for treating stenosing tenovaginitis of flexor digitorum with hook needle knife has advantages of definite effects, micro-invasion and safety.