contracture

con·trac·ture | \ kən-ˈtrak-chər

How to pronounce contracture (audio)

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Definition of contracture

: a permanent shortening (as of muscle, tendon, or scar tissue) producing deformity or distortion

Examples of contracture in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web According to the Mayo Clinic, there are more than 200,000 cases of Dupuytren’s contracture per year in the United States. — Kyle Fredrickson, The Denver Post, "Broncos GM John Elway reveals hand condition on “Today” show," 22 Aug. 2019 Dupuytren’s contracture occurs most commonly after the age of 50 and men are more likely to have the issue. — Kyle Fredrickson, The Denver Post, "Broncos GM John Elway reveals hand condition on “Today” show," 22 Aug. 2019 The condition, Dupuytren's contracture, involves a tendon pulling fingers into a bent position. — Jenna West, SI.com, "John Elway Reveals 15-Year Battle With Dupuytren's Contracture," 22 Aug. 2019 Fifteen years ago, @johnelway was diagnosed with Dupuytren's contracture, a progressive medical condition that leads to hand disability. — Kyle Fredrickson, The Denver Post, "Broncos GM John Elway reveals hand condition on “Today” show," 22 Aug. 2019 Fifteen years ago, @johnelway was diagnosed with Dupuytren's contracture, a progressive medical condition that leads to hand disability. — Jenna West, SI.com, "John Elway Reveals 15-Year Battle With Dupuytren's Contracture," 22 Aug. 2019 One of the complications, which happens in about 5 percent of cases, is development of scar tissue called a contracture or stricture that can occlude the urine channel again, requiring more operations. — Dr. Jared G. Heiner, idahostatesman, "A new treatment for an old prostate problem | Idaho Statesman," 6 May 2018 Certain stretches will be emphasized throughout rehabilitation (especially bending and extending the knee) to avoid scarring contractures and possible follow-up surgery (advanced stretches for the thigh and hamstrings are shown). — Colin Hoobler, OregonLive.com, "Colin Hoobler: A closer look at Moe Harkless' knee injury and timeline for recovery," 5 Apr. 2018 Apitherapy -- the medicinal use of bee hive products, including honey, pollen and bee venom -- was the woman's go-to treatment for stress and contractures, a tightening of her muscles that caused stiff joints. — Susan Scutti, CNN, "Live bee sting acupuncture is deadly for Madrid woman," 22 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'contracture.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Statistics for contracture

Last Updated

12 Nov 2019

Time Traveler for contracture

The first known use of contracture was in 1658

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