May is here. Summer is coming! In many countries, Mother’s day is being celebrated this Sunday. It’s a meaningful milestone. Dupuytren Research Group is also marking milestones – on a variety of maps. International Dupuytren Data Bank Enrollment The IDDB is nearing the 3000 enrollee mark: as of today, we have 2996 enrollees. Here is […]

Thirteen years ago, a doctor had bad Dupuytren contractures. He had been told that he needed surgery if he wanted to straighten his fingers. He didn’t want to take time off his practice for what might be a lengthy recovery after traditional surgery. He found a hand surgeon who was doing needle aponeurotomy – which had […]

I was recently asked if medical marijuana might be helpful for Dupuytren disease. The short answer is “No one knows.”. The longer answer is much more interesting. The late effect of Dupuytren disease is Dupuytren contracture. The medical term for the findings in Dupuytren contracture is fibrosis. Sclerosis also means the same thing. If either of […]

Heads and Hands: Biomarkers Biomarkers are the focus of Dupuytren Research Group research – the International Dupuytren Data Bank. Researchers in many medical specialties are searching for biomarkers, not just to find new treatments, but as a guide to current treatment. Blood test biomarkers are under investigation for better management and eventually prevention of  post-concussive […]

Turkey Day Update! Much has happened since the last Dupuytren Foundation report in July. The International Dupuytren Data Bank (IDDB) averages 100 new enrollees each month. We’re continuing to work out the complicated details of blood testing. If you haven’t enrolled yet, now is the time: http://DupStudy.com. Our international research committee continues to grow. So does […]

The cause of Dupuytren disease is a team effort of risks and stressors. Genes play the major role in one’s lifetime risk of disease. Not everyone with Dupuytren genes knows it: many people are genetic carriers. They carry the Dupuytren genes and pass them on to their children, yet never develop the disease themselves. Factors […]

A hand surgery colleague just sent me hand pictures of a patient he had treated with needle aponeurotomy seven years ago. His patient recently had a recurrence and had an excellent outcome with repeat needle aponeurotomy. A great result, more impressive because things don’t always go as well. It’s an example of the ups and downs […]

My first Dupuytren palm nodule. What will to happen to me? Most Dupuytren disease starts as a nodule. Some nodules go away without any treatment. Some nodules develop minor cords and then seem to stop. Some nodules are the first sign of severe Dupuytren disease. Which is it going to be? Without a biomarker, we can […]

If a hand progresses from early Dupuytren disease (nodules, dimples, cords with no limitation of motion) to Dupuytren contracture, treatment should be considered.  The best compromise between the ordeal of a procedure and the best long term outcome is to treat either when the finger is either awkwardly bent or if the bend of one joint […]