# Dupuydren's Contracture???????



## sacostello (Jun 2, 2006)

Anybody here have any experience with Dupuydren's Contracture/Syndrome/Disease? I have had a bump in the middle of my left hand for 6 months or so. It's getting bigger and affects the ulnar side (right side if I'm looking at my left palm) of my left palm center hand. Doctor says it is Dupuydren's Contracture. Affects the tissue under the surface and can curl fingers down toward the hand permanently (or until surgically repaired-even then there is a 70% chance it will come back). I read that most people that have this don't experience a great deal of pain but I do (weightlifting and riding). Doc says cortisone and other injectables won't help prior to surgery. Anyone have any suggestions for pain relief/treatment other than surgery? Surgery is on my horizon in the next couple years the doc says. Any experiences with the palmar fasciotomy used to correct the problem? Any other corrective measures anyone know of? Any input is appreciated. Thanks in advance.


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## xcguy (Apr 18, 2004)

*The only experience I had with this*

was coming back from my broken right wrist. My hand looked like a leather glove while in my cast and I got trigger finger on my little finger. I got a cortisone injection and it relieved the symptoms, then another one months later which seems to have permanently eliminated the trigger finger symptoms. In the meantime...

I started getting bumps on the pressure points of my hand where it held onto my handlebar grip. Like on the inside base of my thumb (4 or 5 bumps), on the first joint of my thumb and other places on my hand. They just sort of spontaneously started appearing. I can't say they were a painful thing but more of a deep itching, more alarming than painful.

My hand doc handed me a Dupuytren's Contracture pamphlet for me to read and it sounds like it would lead to a real distressing condition if it kept getting worse. But in my case my trigger finger went away, the bumps are still there but don't itch and were never painful. I don't have any contracture of my fingers and I don't have those scarlike bands (as described in the pamphlet) across my palm. Maybe I just have the mildest form of DC, or not, who knows. Good luck with your situation.


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## jeffscott (May 10, 2006)

Yup I had a bump that got in the way the cut it out, took 1 hour.

Came back on a different finger, in about a year, but this bump doesn't bother anything, so all is good.

Do finger stretchs, that can solve all the problems.


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## spongstick (Feb 6, 2004)

I work in surgery as a surgical nurse.I have done Dupuydren's Surgery plenty of times.The Hand is Splayed open with a z incision :eekster: then the Doctor takes the adhesions down with a fine Tenotomy Scissor or a 15# blade.To me the adhesions look like real thick Spider Webs.Then they close the wound with a Nylon Suture or even a chromic stich it does take alot of suturing.Some Patients do have to come back in time to have it done again.:madman: Good luck...I go under the Knife friday for Carpal Tunnel surgery, and a Mass on my leg that might be possibly Cancer.


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## OldMTBfreak (Apr 8, 2006)

*Dupuytrens*

I was operated on about 8 weeks ago for Dupuytrens. I'm right handed, so naturally my right hand had the problem. I had a big bump on the ring finger, plus it wouldn't straighten out. I also had about 30 degree bend on the long (bird) finger. Surgery went well, Hand is still a bit stiff and swollen, but works well. I'm also getting Dupuytrens on my left hand, sigh. I waited 4 years after finding out about it, before I went in for the whack job. I could still ride my bike, I just was having trouble putting my hand in my pocket to get my phone.


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