Enzyme ‘can reduce need for surgery’

Recurrence is a feature of the hand condition Dupuytren’s contracture. However, new treatments offer the possibility of reduced contractures and an improved range of motion, writes Gary Culliton. Dupuytren’s disease is a slowly progressive condition affecting the layer of connective tissue in the palm of the hand and the fingers (the palmar fascia). Dupuytren’s disease starts in the palm of the hand with the appearance of a number of nodules, made of cells that can produce collagen. Variables that could explain the onset of development are, in decreasing order: age; total alcohol consumption; sex (male); and previous hand injuries, according…