North Hampshire Hospital
The Hampshire Clinic
Basingstoke, Hampshire, UK

Mr John Britton FRCS
Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon

Information for patients undergoing orthopaedic treatment
 

 

Dupuytren's contracture

Dupuytren's contracture affecting
little finger

Dupuytren's disease is a condition in which the tissues underlying the skin in the hand to scar; as the scar develops the fingers are pulled toward the palm. The condition may be hereditary or may be associated with a number of other medical conditions such as liver disease; in most cases however no cause is found.

The natural history of the condition is for the contractures to slowly progress with consequent loss of function of the hand. The rate at which contractures develop is very variable. The disease never resolves spontaneously.

Surgery is performed to release troublesome contractures but cannot cure the condition. It is normally possible to achieve good correction of deformities. However recurrence of the contractures is often seen because of residual disease.

For further information about surgery click here.
© J M Britton 2007

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