Ischemic Contracture

Ischemic contracture is a permanent shortening and hardening of muscles and tissues that occurs when an area, frequently the forearm or the hand, receives insufficient blood supply for a certain period of time. The lack of oxygen damages the tissue, which then retracts.

Those who provide guidance on this condition are the orthopedist and, when it involves the hand, the hand surgeon, since it affects the mobility and function of the limb.

How it may present: stiffness, difficulty extending the fingers or the wrist, a fixed position of the hand, pain, and progressive loss of movement.

When should you seek care? After an injury, fracture, or very tight bandage, if intense pain, paleness, or loss of mobility appears, a prompt review is important. Assessing these signs in time with a professional is key to the function of the hand.