Soft Tissue Disorders: Iliotibial Band Syndrome, Myalgia, Subacromial Bursitis, Rotator Cuff Tear, Trigger Point, Tennis Elbow, Lipoma

Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Pages: 50. Chapters: Achilles tendinitis, Adhesive capsulitis of shoulder, Bannayan-Riley-Ruvalcaba syndrome, Bursitis, Calcaneal spur, Calcific bursitis, Climber's finger, Climbing injuries, Dupuytren's contracture, Fibromatosis, Golfer's elbow, Greater trochanteric pain syndrome, Iliotibial band syndrome, Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumour, Infrapatellar bursitis, Knuckle pads, Lipoblastoma, Lipoma, Liposarcoma, Metatarsalgia, Myalgia, Myofascial pain syndrome, Nodular fasciitis, Olecranon bursitis, Panniculitis, Patellar tendinitis, Pes anserine bursitis, Plantar fasciitis, Prepatellar bursitis, Quadriceps tendon rupture, Rheumatism, Rotator cuff tear, Stenosing tenosynovitis, Subacromial bursitis, Synovial osteochondromatosis, Tennis elbow, Trigger point. Excerpt: Dupuytren's contracture (also known as morbus Dupuytren, Dupuytren's disease or palmar fibromatosis) is a fixed flexion contracture of the hand where the fingers bend towards the palm and cannot be fully extended (straightened). It is an inherited proliferative connective tissue disorder which involves the palmar fascia of the hand. It is named after Baron Guillaume Dupuytren, the surgeon who described an operation to correct the affliction in the Lancet in 1831. The ring finger and little finger are the fingers most commonly affected. The middle finger may be affected in advanced cases, but the index finger and the thumb are nearly always spared. Dupuytren's contracture progresses slowly and is usually painless. In patients with this condition, the palmar fascia thickens and shortens so that the tendons connected to the fingers cannot move freely. The palmar fascia becomes hyperplastic and contracts. Incidence increases after the age of 40; at this age, men are affected more often than women. After the age of 80, the gender distribution is about even. Dupuytren's contracture of the right little finger. Arrow marks the area of scarringIn Dupuytren's contracture, the palmar fascia within the hand becomes abnormally thick, which can cause the fingers to curl and can result in impaired function of the fingers. The small and ring fingers are especially affected. The main function of the palmar fascia is to increase grip of the hand; thus, over time, Dupuytren's contracture decreases patients' ability to grip objects. Pain is usually not associated with this condition. Dupuytren's disease often starts with nodules in the palm of the hand and it can extend to a cord in the finger. The palmar fascia becomes abnormally thick due to the fact that there is a change of collagen type. Normally, the palmar fascia consists of collagen type I, but if a patient has Dupuytren's disease, the collagen type I changes to collagen type III, which is significantly thicker than collagen ty