This review of 103 cases of hands operated on for treatment of Dupuytren's disease demonstrates the significant increase of postoperative stiffness as related to recurrences and staging of the disease, but not to sex. On the contrary, the frequency of reflex sympathetic dystrophy after fasciectomy is sex related affecting females. The protective effect of guanethidine may be a valuable therapeutic adjunct for female patients. We propose that the disease be staged on the basis of anatomic findings, inasmuch as staging based on degree of contracture alone is insufficient for comparative studies.