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.
Central Jersey Hand Surgery
Gary Pess is an Orthopedics provider in Eatontown, New Jersey. Dr. Pess is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Dupuytren Contracture. His top areas of expertise are Dupuytren Contracture, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Trigger Thumb, Rhizarthrosis, and Fasciotomy. Dr. Pess is currently accepting new patients.
Brigham And Women's Hospital, Orthopaedic And Arthritis Center
Brandon E. Earp, MD is Vice Chair of Clinical Operations for the Brigham and Women's Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Chief of Orthopaedic Surgery at Brigham and Women's Faulkner Hospital. She is an attending on the Hand & Upper Extremity and the Orthopedic Trauma Services. She is an Associate Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Earp graduated from Harvard College and Stanford Medical School. She completed the Harvard Combined Orthopedic Residency Program and Harvard Hand and Upper Extremity Fellowship at the Brigham and Women’s and Boston Children’s Hospitals.Dr. Earp’s clinical interests include acute upper limb trauma and post-traumatic reconstruction of complex injuries of the hand, wrist, elbow and shoulder. She also cares for a variety of conditions of the upper limb, including sports-related injuries, arthritis, and compression neuropathies. Her research interests include the management of distal radius fractures, upper limb trauma, compression neuropathies, and arthritis. Dr. Earp is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Dupuytren Contracture. Her top areas of expertise are Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Dupuytren Contracture, Rhizarthrosis, Fasciotomy, and Osteotomy.
Brigham And Women's Faulkner Hospital, Orthopaedics Center
Dafang Zhang is an Orthopedics provider in South Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts. Dr. Zhang is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Dupuytren Contracture. His top areas of expertise are Dupuytren Contracture, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Mononeuritis Multiplex, Fasciotomy, and Osteotomy.
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