contracture

Static muscle shortening due to tonic spasm or fibrosis, to loss of muscular balance, the antagonists being paralyzed or to a loss of motion of the adjacent joint. [L. contractura, fr. con-traho, to draw together]

- Dupuytren c. a disease of the palmar fascia resulting in thickening and shortening of fibrous bands on the palmar surface of the hand and fingers resulting in a characteristic flexion deformity of the fourth and fifth digits.

- fixed c. SYN: organic c..

- functional c. muscular shortening that ceases during sleep or general anesthesia, caused by prolonged active muscle contraction.

- ischemic c. of the left ventricle irreversible contraction of the left ventricle of the heart, seen as a complication in the early period of cardiopulmonary bypass and now avoided by appropriate cardioplegic solutions. SYN: myocardial rigor mortis, stone heart.

- organic c. c., usually due to fibrosis within the muscle that persists whether the subject is conscious or unconscious. SYN: fixed c..

- Volkmann c. ischemic c. resulting from irreversible necrosis of muscle tissue, produced by a compartment syndrome; classically involves the forearm flexor muscles.

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con·trac·ture kən-'trak-chər n a permanent shortening (as of muscle, tendon, or scar tissue) producing deformity or distortion see DUPUYTREN'S CONTRACTURE

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n.

fibrosis of skeletal muscle or connective tissue producing shortening and resulting in deformity of a joint. See also Dupuytren's contracture, Volkmann's contracture.

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con·trac·ture (kən-trakґchər) [L. contractura] a condition of fixed high resistance to passive stretch of a muscle, resulting from fibrosis of the tissues supporting the muscles or the joints, or from disorders of the muscle fibers.