Dupuytren’s disease is a condition which affects the fibrous tissue of the palm of the hand and fingers. It is a slowly progressing disease which gradually bends the fingers into a position that cannot be straightened. Therapy cannot correct the problem without a surgical correction.
Severe cases require formal surgical release with a large incision and several months of splinting and hand therapy after surgery. Risks of surgery include bleeding, infection, wound healing problems, numbness, stiffness, incomplete correction and pain.
Some cases may be treated with a ‘percutaneous needle aponeurotomy’ which means the thick band of dupuytren’s disease is punctured with a needle and essentially torn to allow the finger to straighten. This obviously does not remove the disease process so the contracture of the finger may recur but this treatment is associated with much less down-time and therapy.
For more information about Dupuytren's disease visit:
https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/diseases--conditions/dupuytrens-disease/
