Learn About Dupuytren Contracture
Dupuytren contracture is characterized by a deformity of the hand in which the joints of one or more fingers cannot be fully straightened (extended); their mobility is limited to a range of bent (flexed) positions. The condition is a disorder of connective tissue, which supports the body's muscles, joints, organs, and skin and provides strength and flexibility to structures throughout the body. In particular, Dupuytren contracture results from shortening and thickening of connective tissues in the hand, including fat and bands of fibrous tissue called fascia; the skin is also involved.
While the cause of Dupuytren contracture is unknown, changes in one or more genes are thought to affect the risk of developing this disorder. Some of the genes associated with the disorder are involved in a biological process called the Wnt signaling pathway. This pathway promotes the growth and division (proliferation) of cells and is involved in determining the specialized functions a cell will have (differentiation).
Dupuytren contracture occurs in about 5 percent of people in the United States. The condition is 3 to 10 times more common in people of European descent than in those of non-European descent.
Dupuytren contracture is usually passed down through generations in families and is the most common inherited disorder of connective tissue. The inheritance pattern is often unclear. Some people who inherit gene changes associated with Dupuytren contracture never develop the condition.
Aligned Orthopedic Partners
Edward Bieber is an Orthopedics specialist and a Sports Medicine provider in Bethesda, Maryland. Dr. Bieber is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Dupuytren Contracture. His top areas of expertise are Synovitis, Tendinitis, Tenosynovitis, and Trigger Thumb.
Tidewater Orthopaedic Associates Inc.
Robert Campolattaro is a Hand Surgeon and an Orthopedics provider in Hampton, Virginia. Dr. Campolattaro is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Dupuytren Contracture. His top areas of expertise are Rhizarthrosis, Dupuytren Contracture, Ganglion Cyst, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, and Fasciotomy. Dr. Campolattaro is currently accepting new patients.
Proliance Surgeons
Alan B. Thomas, MD, is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon who specializes in upper extremity surgery. He has been practicing medicine since 2000, and he has a special interest in arthroscopy of the wrist, elbow and shoulder. He received a CAQ subspecialty certificate in orthopedic surgery of the hand from the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery.He enjoys the challenges of restoring people to health through his practice. His doctorate work in biochemistry opened up new approaches for treating complex problems and made him a more detailed clinician.Dr. Thomas is a former vice president of St. Clare Hospital and has served on the operating and surgical committees for St Clare Hospital and the medical executive committee for Franciscan Health at St. Josephs Medical Center. He is a chairman for an outreach committee at his church and a member of the board of directors for The Health Project – Cambodia, which delivers medical supplies and equipment to underserved people in Southeast Asia and he travels to Cambodia each year to provide surgical care to those in need.Outside of his medical practice and volunteer work, he tries to keep up with his three children who are avid skiers, wakeboarders, and surfers. Dr. Thomas is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Dupuytren Contracture. His top areas of expertise are Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Ganglion Cyst, Trigger Thumb, and Rhizarthrosis.
Summary: To determine if the clinical impression of clinicians, ie that patients are improving with the current treatment pathway for Dupuytren's (contracture release followed by radiation), can be substantiated with scientific evidence.
Summary: Dupuytren's disease is a frequent hereditary disease in Northern Europe. It is a degenerative disease affecting the palmar aponeurosis of the hand. It develops a progressive contractile fibrosis which cuts the hypodermic fatty tissue, adheres to the skin and the phalanges, gradually bending the affected rays, resulting in significant functional impotence. Various medical and surgical treatments ar...
Published Date: April 01, 2019
Published By: National Institutes of Health