HealthInfo Waitaha Canterbury
Treating Dupuytren contracture
Te whakarauora i te kukutitanga ā-matimati (Dupuytren)
Many people are not affected too much by having Dupuytren. If you can do the things you want to do with your hands, you may not need any treatment.
Splints, exercises, hand therapy or steroid injections do not seem to change how bad it gets, or how quickly it does so.
If you have had a Dupuytren contracture or are over 50 and have a family history of it, it would be a good idea to stop smoking and cut back on alcohol to reduce the chances of getting it.
If the Dupuytren contracture affects how your hand works, you will need treatment. Surgery is the traditional treatment, but more recent procedures that can be done in a day clinic, are becoming more popular.
Needle aponeurotomy
This is also called needle fasciotomy (fas-e-ot-o-me). A sharp needle is used to cut the cord that pulls your finger bent. This is done under a local anaesthetic injection (which just numbs the part of your hand being treated). It is suitable for some types of Dupuytren contracture.
People recover more quickly from this procedure than they do from surgery. But not all contractures can be treated this way. In some people, they come back more quickly than they do after surgery.
Surgery
If you cannot use your hand easily, you may need surgery. Whether your doctor recommends surgery depends on several things, including what angle your finger is bent to. The aim of the surgery is to help your hand work better and to stop it getting worse.
You will only be able to get publicly funded surgery if your Dupuytren contracture severely affects you. Talk to your general practice team about whether you should be referred to a surgeon.
About 20% of people who have surgery find the condition comes back. This mostly happens years after the surgery. Usually, it is not as bad as it was before the operation.
Recovering well from this surgery takes some time and effort. It often takes 8 weeks or so before your hand feels normal again, but you will get better week by week.
In general, you should only do as much as you are comfortable with. If your hand becomes painful and swollen, you are doing too much.
You will need to avoid firm grasping or lifting for 6 to 8 weeks. Pain will limit what you can do for around 6 weeks.
You may be off work for 2 to 4 weeks, depending on your job. Some people can go back to work after 1 week, while others might not be able to do heavier work for 8 weeks or more.
Written by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Last reviewed November 2024.
SourcesReview key: HIDUC-12822
