contracture

American  

[kuhn-trak-cher] / kənˈtræk tʃər /

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 British  

/ 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

Etymology

Origin of contracture

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

Example Sentences

Mustaine saw a specialist and was diagnosed with Dupuytren’s contracture, a progressive condition that affects about 8% of the world’s population, according to National Institutes of Health statistics.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 20, 2026

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

From BBC • Nov. 22, 2024

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

From Washington Post • Nov. 20, 2022

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

From Seattle Times • Dec. 2, 2021

As the structures on the flexor aspect are more liable to undergo such shortening, contracture is nearly always associated with flexion.

From Manual of Surgery Volume First: General Surgery. Sixth Edition. by Thomson, Alexis