Live Life Team
Dupuytren’s Contracture (named after a French Surgeon, Baron Guillaume Dupuytren) refers to the non cancerous condition when one or more fingers bend towards the palm of the hand because of the coagulating and shortening of the connective tissues in the palm. It more commonly affects men, mostly after crossing the age of 40.
Symptoms of Dupuytren’s Contracture
Few of the symptoms of Dupuytren’s contracture have been listed below:
Painful bumps or indentions on the palm of the hand.
Difficulty in extending your fingers, due to contraction of the connective tissues.
Facing problems while performing usual activities such as driving, swimming, shaking hands and playing an instrument. This happens due to a fixed bent posture adapted by the fingers.
If the finger tends to bend more that 30 degrees, people face problems while getting stuff out of their pocket, washing their face, keeping their hand flat on the top of a table and pushing doors.
In the case of Dupuytren’s contraction the ring finger gets affected first, then the little finger, followed by the middle finger and so on. It may also affect the toes and soles of the feet.
Causes of Dupuytren’s Contraction
The exact cause for the condition is still unknown, although it has been studied that Dupuytren’s contraction runs in families. There are slight chances of developing the Dupuytren’s contraction if a person is afflicted by any of the following:
Excessive consumption of alcohol
Epilepsy
Diabetes
Cirrhosis of the liver
Diagnosis of Dupuytren’s Contraction
Initially the specialist examines the patient’s skin for the signs of the contraction. The extent of deformity is measured depending on how the finger curls into the palm. The history of symptoms and problems is studied, after which the specialist comes to know whether it is a major or a minor deformity.
Treatment of Dupuytren’s Contraction
If the case of the condition is mild, it does not need any treatment. The contraction needs to be treated only when the usual activities of the hand have been affected. The treatments of Dupuytren’s theory include nothing other than going through a surgery. The three main options are:
Needle Fasciotomy (or needle aponeurotomy): This refers to a process in which, a needle is passed through the skin over the affected area, after which the contracture is cut and divided using sharp instruments. This is a fast and trouble – free procedure that is followed when the condition of the contraction is fairly mild and has 50% recurrence chances.
Open Fasciotomy: This refers to a process in which the surgeon cuts open the skin on the hand to access the connective tissue easily. The connective tissue is then cut allowing easy bending and straightening of the fingers. The skin is then stitched back. This procedure is followed under local anaesthesia and is used to treat a severe contraction. It is a long term successful solution for the condition.
Dermatofasciectomy: this refers to the process of removing the fibrous tissue and the skin. It is normally performed either when the disease has recurred or as a first option when the skin is badly affected. In this procedure, the skin is removed from another part of arm and replaced with a skin graft. After this operation, the hand takes over six weeks to perform normal functions.
