Dupuytren’s contracture is a condition that can cause the fingers to contract, sometimes meaning that the person loses normal functioning of the hands.

First, to explore some of the myths that surround Dupuytren’s, this condition is not caused by overuse, operating machinery, or too much golf, nor is it a virus.

Rather it is a thickening of the connective tissue below the skin—but on top of the tendons. In this way it is similar to scar tissue, and as it builds it pulls the fingers forward.

Its exact cause is unknown but it is thought to have a genetic link, so runs in families. It is most common in the hands but can also occur in the knuckles, the soles of the feet, and, for some men, it can develop in the penis, causing a curvature.