A jumping or fast finger (Latin digitus saltans) is a sliding disorder of the tendons of the hand. The terms tendovaginosis or tendovaginitis stenosans are used synonymously. It is named after the symptomatic jumping of the finger when trying to stretch it out.
In this case, the finger first gets stuck in the bending position and then, after overcoming the blockade, moves forward. The disease affects women more frequently than men, with the age peak being beyond the age of 60. Rarely, however, a congenital thickening of the finger tendons can become symptomatic in children as a jumping finger.
The thumb is most frequently affected, as it is the part of the body most exposed to daily use. However, the index and middle finger are also frequently affected as the long finger; in principle, any finger can be affected. It is also possible and not unusual for several fingers to be affected, sometimes at different times. If your thumb is affected, we recommend our special topic: quick thumb
Symptoms
Often the disease manifests itself first by unspecific pain or feelings of tension in the affected finger. Pain in the palm of the hand, a pull on the outside or inside of a finger or the occasional snap of a finger can be harbingers of a jumping finger and should be taken seriously. A visit to a doctor is therefore advisable in any case, especially if the symptoms persist.
The typical jumping of the finger often only becomes apparent at a later stage. The stretched finger cannot be bent in this clinical picture, the patient feels that the movement is blocked because the thickened tendon cannot pass the ring ligament (ligamentum anulare). It is therefore a so-called ring ligament stenosis (constriction).
If more force is applied, a noticeable tension is increasingly built up. If the force applied is sufficient, the thickened tendon overcomes the ring ligament and a jerky bending of the affected finger occurs. It is crucial that this phenomenon can usually be reproduced.
For many patients, the jumping of the finger is painful, but for others it is not. In some patients, a thickened tendon knot under the skin can be palpated in a sliding manner when bending or stretching the affected finger. In some cases, the tendon knot can swell further, causing the finger to freeze in the bent or stretched position and not return to its original position even with maximum effort.
This phenomenon is also known as a trapped finger and can partially release itself. However, if this is not the case, rapid surgical intervention is required. The ring band is split, which prevents irreversible functional limitations of the finger in the long term.
