Medical Dictionary

Dupuytren's contracture

noun Du·puy·tren's contracture \ də-ˌpwē-ˈtraⁿz- , -ˈpwē-trənz- \

medical Definition of Dupuytren's contracture

: a condition marked by fibrosis with shortening and thickening of the palmar aponeurosis resulting in flexion contracture of the fingers into the palm of the hand

Biographical Note for dupuytren's contracture

Dupuytren play \də-pwē-traⁿ\, Guillaume (1777–1835), French surgeon. Dupuytren was the leading French surgeon of his day. His greatest achievements were in surgical pathology, and they include: the first excision of the lower jaw (1812), a successful ligation of the external iliac artery (1815), the first successful treatment of aneurysm by compression (1818), a successful ligation of the subclavian artery (1819), surgical treatment of wryneck (1822), the development of an operation for the creation of an artificial anus (1828), and a classification of burns into four divisions (1832). The contracture that bears his name was described in 1831.