Personal experiences with Xiaflex and Needle Aponeurotomy
Xiaflex is now available, and is generating reports by both traditional writers and self published social media authors. There are now two minimally invasive treatments for contractures due to Dupuytren’s disease – Xiaflex injection and needle aponeurotomy – with relative advantages and disadvantages of each. The following video was made by a Dupuytren’s patient, documenting […]
Red wine and yellow curry to prevent Dupuytren’s?
Could a yellow curry dinner and a glass of red wine be good for Dupuytren’s? Possibly. Dupuytren’s is a fibrotic condition, something it shares with other disorders. There is a great deal of ongoing research into the biology of fibrosis and its possible treatment. Two studies suggest that diet may have an helpful influence on […]
The earliest case of Dupuytren’s? You’ll never guess where.
A case of Dupuytren’s contracture has been discovered dating back nearly three thousand years. The Monthemhat Project, a multinational Egyptology group, recently published an analysis of 18 mummies from the Third Intermediate Period from the Luxor Cachette, and report the diagnosis of Dupuytren’s contracture involving the left hand of one of the mummies. The full […]
Dupuytren’s or palmar fasciitis?
Dupuytren’s isn’t the only problem which can affect the fascia of the palm. Inflammation of the palmar fascia (palmar fasciitis) may be due to less common problems, and differs from typical Dupuytren’s in that it is usually painful. The difference between Dupuytren’s and palmar fasciitis is similar to the difference between Ledderhose disease and plantar […]
Metalloproteinases and Dupuytren’s
A better understanding of the biology of metalloproteinases may lead to new treatment options for Dupuytren’s. Metalloproteinases (MMPS) are a group of enzymes in our bodies which break down certain proteins, including collagen. MMPS are blocked by tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPS). MMPS and TIMPS balance each other: imbalances have been implicated in conditions of […]
Stony Brook Dupuytren Symposium
What a year for Dupuytren’s! Xiaflex is FDA approved, the 2010 International Symposium on Dupuytren’s Disease http://www.DupuytrenSymposium.com is coming up May 22,23 in Miami, and now Stony Brook University Medical Center Department Of Orthopaedics has announced its Dupuytren’s Disease Symposium Saturday, April 17th, 2010 in Stony Brook, New York. The program flier is http://Dupuytrens.org/DupPDFs/2010_StonyBrookSyllabus.pdf. The […]
Radiotherapy for Dupuytren’s
Radiation treatment for Dupuytren’s disease has been performed since the advent of therapeutic radiation treatment. The effectiveness of radiation is reported as a preventative measure for early disease to prevent progression, not as a treatment for contracture. Although not widely embraced in the United States, there is a large European experience with radiotherapy of Dupuytren’s […]
Dupuytren’s and other fibroses
Dupuytren’s is a fibrotic disease, a fibrosis – one of many. Fibrosis, as a word, sounds exotic, but it is really just the medical name for scar. Although injuries come in many forms and can involve any structure, our bodies have a limited repertoire for reacting to injuries. The universal poultice our body’s healing process […]
Dupuytren’s: it’s not just the fascia.
Dupuytren’s contracture is a local manifestation of a systemic process, and although the palmar fascia is the usual focus, what happens in the hand is a regional process, affecting the skin and the fatty layer under the skin as well as the fascia: it appears to be something which brews between the skin and the […]
Alcohol and Dupuytren’s
Is there a relationship between drinking alcoholic beverages and the chance of having Dupuytren’s? This has been debated for years. The answer? Yes, according to the report “Dupuytren’s contracture and alcohol” (full text: http://www.dupuytrenfoundation.org/DupPDFs/1986_Bradlow_1148.pdf). The authors reviewed 143 patients with and without Dupuytren’s, checked their self described drinking patterns as well as the blood tests […]
