Dupuytren’s Contracture

Disability Benefit and Tax Credit for Dupuytren’s contracture



Dupuytren’s Contracture is a distortionof the hand’s normal structure, whichmore often than not, progressgradually, overtime. Itcauses a loop formation of tissues under the palm’s skin, eventually leading to thickening and shortening of tissues, pulling one or more of your digits into acrooked curled alignment. As soon asthistakes place, the fingers affected can no longer beuncurledcompletely resulting in contractures of the ring and little fingers. A little less than half of individuals with the disease have contractures on the right and left digits simultaneously.Moreover, fingers on the right side arefrequentlyaffected in unilateral Dupuytren’s contracture. Inability to prepare food and difficulty in feeding one self, plus the added emotional burden of being unable to perform routinary activities without constraint, qualifies the patient to obtain benefits and disability tax credit offered by the Canadian government to its constituents.



Northern European descent, old age and a family medical history are linked to the occurrence of Dupuytren’s Contracture. About 4-6% of Caucasians worldwideis affected by this condition.In addition, men are three times more likely to have this disease and further have a higher severity of digit contracture, which is attributed to androgen production.


Other possiblerisk factors are alcoholism, labor-intensiveworkalong withvibration exposure,diabetes mellitus, previous handtrauma or injury,hyperlipidemia, smoking, and compoundregional pain syndrome.



Symptoms of Dupuytren’s Contracture in its three stages:

  • In the proliferative phase, the person experiences exasperating nodular soreness and feelings of uneasiness. Skin blanching of the palm is evident with finger extension.
  • In the involutional phase, myofibroblasts will align along nodular tension lines and symptoms spread in the fascia down to the fingers resulting in acordlikepattern.
  • In the residual phase, contractures develop.


Severity of Dupuytren’s Contracture is categorized as follows:

  • Grade 1. Nodular thicknessassociated with impaired skin.
  • Grade 2.Increasing limitation in extension of finger.
  • Grade 3. Digital flexion contracture



Medical management comprisesof conservative medical interventions, occupational and physical therapy, and surgical modalities. Although it is not significantly fatal, considerablemorbidity can ariseif untreated. In the early stages, heat application and exposure to Ultra-sonographic waves may delay further contractures.The patient may possibly concede to wearing a customized brace or splint in order to stretch the fingers out. Range of motion exercise may also be prescribed to be performed more than a fewtimes a day. Physical therapy involving active ROM exercises, passive stretching is usually recommended following surgical correction as well as massage, wound care, and splinting. Moreover, the patient may be taught steps in optimizing functional abilities such as use of assistive devices and learning adaptive techniques.


Disability Tax Credits for Dupuytren’s contracture
Dupuytren’s Contracture severely impairs an individual in activities of daily living that involves the hand. This prevents the individual to function properly, thus, filing for disability may be in order. Let a HandyTax representative help you with your disability tax certificate from the Canadian Revenue Agency. With a certification from a qualified medical doctor or an occupational therapist, you may be entitled to disability tax refunds. Call HandyTax now!