18/07/2025
Dupuytren’s contracture is a disorder of the palmar fascia, which starts with thickening/ nodules in the palm, and can progress to flexion contracture of the digit/s.
Its etiology isn’t fully understood, but risk factors are family history of the condition, s*x (80% male below age 40, 1:1 by age 80) age and ethnicity.
Environmental factors are also thought to be associated with the condition in some cases, such as smoking, alcohol intake, and micro-trauma to the hand.
Although the disease generally starts at a later age in females and progresses more slowly than in males, women are more likely to suffer with pain and inflammation in the early stages.
In a study looking at Dupuytren’s disease in climbers, it found that 19.5% of climbers questioned had developed Dupuytren’s disease, considerably higher than in a non-climbing population (around 8%), suggesting that the microtrauma of climbing could increase lifetime risk.
Interestingly, the respondents were almost entirely male, which still leaves the question as to whether the female climbing population are more at risk of the Dupuytren’s contracture than in the non-climbing population, and to what degree/ severity remains unknown.
Pictured: early Dupuytren’s nodules in two female climbers hands.
