Contractures lead to stiffness or tightening of tissues, including:
As tissue that stretches becomes less flexible, you might:
Risk factors that may cause contractures include:
Request an appointment with a UPMC orthopaedic surgeon:
The links to our Health Library will open a new browser window:
Symptoms of contractures include:
Your doctor will ask you about your symptoms and perform an exam.
To help confirm a contracture diagnosis, your doctor may also order imaging tests, such as an:
Request an appointment with a UPMC orthopaedic surgeon:
The links below will open a new browser window.
UPMC's HealthBeat Blog:
From our Health Library:
Doctors at UPMC Orthopaedic Care offer many contracture treatments to loosen and relax stiff areas.
Your doctor may use one or more of the following to treat your contracture:
If other treatments don't work, your doctor may suggest contracture surgery to:
The main goal of contracture surgery is to restore a full range of motion to the affected area.
Request an appointment with a UPMC orthopaedic surgeon:
The links below will open a new browser window.
UPMC's HealthBeat Blog:
UPMC Patient Education Materials:
From our Health Library: