Dupuytren's contracture (also known as morbus Dupuytren, or Dupuytren's disease and

slang terms "Viking disease" or "Celtic hand),[1] is a fixed flexion contracture of the hand due to a
palmar fibromatosis,[2] where the fingers bend towards the palm and cannot be fully extended
(straightened). It is an inherited proliferative connective tissue disorder that involves the hand's
palmar fascia.[3] It is named after Baron Guillaume Dupuytren, the surgeon who described an
operation to correct the affliction in the Lancet in 1831.
The ring finger and little finger are the fingers most commonly affected. The middle finger may
be affected in advanced cases, but the index finger and the thumb are not affected as frequently.
[citation needed]
Dupuytren's contracture progresses slowly and is often accompanied by some aching
and itching. In patients with this condition, the palmar fascia thickens and shortens so that the
tendons connected to the fingers cannot move freely. The palmar fascia becomes hyperplastic
and contracts.
Incidence increases after age 40; at this age, men are affected more often than women. Beyond
80 the gender distribution is about even.
In Dupuytren's contracture, the palmar fascia within the hand becomes abnormally thick, which
can cause the fingers to curl and can impair finger function. The main function of the palmar
fascia is to increase grip strength; thus, over time, Dupuytren's contracture decreases patients'
ability to hold objects. Patients often report pain, aching and itching. Those patients report pain
along with the contractions.
Dupuytren's disease often starts with nodules in the palm of the hand and it can extend to a cord
in a finger.
Suspected, but unproven, causes of Dupuytren's contracture include trauma, diabetes,
alcoholism, epilepsy therapy with phenytoin, and liver disease. No proven evidence links hand
injuries or specific occupational exposures to a higher risk of developing Dupuytrens. Some
speculation links the condition or its onset may be triggered by, physical trauma such as
sustained manual labor or over-exertion of the hands. However, the fact that Dupuytren's is not
connected with handedness undermines this claim.[4]

Risk factors
Dupuytren's contracture is a non-specific affliction, but primarily affects:

People of Scandinavian or Northern European ancestry;[4] it has been called the "Viking
disease" or "Celtic hand",[5] though it is also widespread in some Mediterranean countries
(e.g., Spain and Bosnia) and in Japan;[6]

Men rather than women (men are ten times as likely to develop the condition);[4]

People over the age of 40;

People with a family history (60% to 70% of those afflicted have a genetic predisposition
to Dupuytren's contracture);[7]

People with liver cirrhosis.

Rock climbers