Also called stenosing tenosynovitis. It is a condition in which there is inflammation around the tendon located at a place called the A1 pulley. Think of your tendon as a belt and the pulleys are belt loops holding the tendon in place as it moves your finger. This condition is as if someone tied a knot in the tendon (belt) and then tried to pull it through the A1 pulley (belt loop). The tendon gets stuck when inflammation is severe, therefore causing clicking, locking, catching, pain, and sometimes your finger may get stuck in a bent position.

• Those with repetitive occupations that require forceful gripping such as using tools, gardening, or playing sports
• Those with diabetes or rheumatoid arthritis are more susceptible

• Tenderness at the base of the finger
• Clicking, catching, or locking as you bend your finger
• Finger stiffness
• Finger getting stuck in a bent position and being unable to straighten
• Pain throughout the finger

• Rest
• Avoid repetitive gripping activities

• Diagnosis is relatively simple and complex testing is not required
• A doctor or therapist will have you bend and straighten your fingers, feeling for any clicking, locking, or catching
• They will also feel for any swelling, nodules, or lumps in the palm of the hand, especially feeling for this lump moving as you move your fingers