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.

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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

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Other Word Forms

• contractured adjective

Etymology

Origin of contracture

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.

From Salon

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

From BBC

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

From Washington Post

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

From Seattle Times

She kept playing through two bouts of cancer and a painful case of Dupuyten’s contracture, an abnormal thickening of the skin on the hand, which severely limited the mobility of her fingers.

From New York Times