Contracture

Contractures can have a variety of causes other than spasticity. In regards to muscle, these include (but not limited to): • Ischemia (restriction of blood flow) leading to the death of muscle tissue, as in Volkmann's contracture. • Muscle injury leading to adhesions and fibrosis (internal scarring). Fibrosis occurs within a muscle or organ, whereas adhesions bind two separate tissues or organs together. • Immobilization, • A muscle imbalance between an agonist and antagonist muscle, • In response to impending muscle damage associated with ATP (energy) deficiency, • Congenital abnormalities of muscle development. == Skin contracture ==

Wound contraction, where the edges of the skin are pulled together to close the wound, is a normal part of wound healing. However, large wounds and abnormal wound healing cause skin contractures by excessively tightening the skin and limiting movement. A skin contracture due to a burn is known as a burn scar contracture. Large areas of missing skin (such as large burns, grazes, and gouges) drastically reduce the area of skin causing it to become tight when pulled together during wound healing. Deep wounds and abnormal wound healing causes abnormal scarring such as hypertrophic scars. Surgery can help alleviate skin contractures in the form of skin grafts and removal of hypertrophic scars. For hypertrophic scars, timing is important when considering surgery, as over time scars will mature and may show decreased contractures along with flattening, softening, and repigmentation without surgical intervention. ==See also==