contracture

[kuhn-trak-cher]

noun

Pathology.

1. a shortening or distortion of muscular or connective tissue due to spasm, scar, or paralysis of the antagonist of the contracting muscle.

contracture

/ kənˈtræktʃə /

noun

1. a disorder in which a skeletal muscle is permanently tightened (contracted), most often caused by spasm or paralysis of the antagonist muscle that maintains normal muscle tension

Other Word Forms

• contractured adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of contracture¹

1650–60; < Latin contractūra, equivalent to contract ( us ) drawn together (past participle of contrahere; contract ) + -ūra -ure

Example Sentences

That’s because an infection during pregnancy can cause microcephaly, which is when a baby's head is much smaller than expected, and other congenital malformations like limb contractures, high muscle tone, eye abnormalities, and hearing loss.

Read more on Salon

The condition, called Dupuytren's contracture, is a genetic disorder that causes a person's fingers to bend towards their palm.

Read more on BBC

The approach involves inserting a needle through the skin to break up the cords of tissue causing the contracture.

Read more on Washington Post

Buttock augmentation may appeal to a wider set, but it, too, can involve various risks: infection, capsular contracture, sciatic neuropathy, fat embolism.

Read more on New York Times

How on earth did obscure medical conditions like Dupuytren’s contracture get into the books?

Read more on Seattle Times