Treatment Options for Dupuytren’s Contracture

As published on EverydayHealth.com

March 22, 2021

Patients develop greater and greater amounts of scar tissue that can pull on itself, or contract. Unlike a rubber band that can snap back, this tissue ends up getting tighter and tighter…

Eventually, this tissue may thicken and develop into cords that pull one or more fingers down toward the palm, making it difficult to straighten the hand. There are risk factors for Dupuytren’s, such as smoking or having diabetes or high cholesterol, but by and large, “The condition can’t be prevented,” says Alejandro Badia, MD, an orthopedic hand surgeon at the Badia Hand to Shoulder Center in Doral, Florida, near Miami, and chief medical officer of OrthoNOW®. Although doctors aren’t sure exactly what causes the condition, it’s believed to have an inherited/genetic component, because it often clusters in families, according to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS).”

Another downside, notes Dr. Badia, is that enzyme injection can be expensive. According to a study published in October 2020 in JAMA Network Open, enzyme injection is the least cost-effective treatment when compared with needle aponeurotomy (another nonsurgical procedure discussed below) or surgery for recurring contractures.

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Alejandro Badia, M.D., is an internationally renowned hand and upper-limb surgeon and founder of Badia Hand to Shoulder Center and OrthoNOW®, a network of immediate orthopedic care centers. Dr. Badia is the author of Healthcare from the Trenches.

Please call (305)227-4263 to request an appointment with Dr. Alejandro Badia.

Related link: What to do with my injury if hospitals are overwhelmed during COVID-19?