The Role of Hand Therapy in Dupuytren Disease

Abstract

The role of hand therapy in the treatment of Dupuytren disease varies depending on the patient and the procedure. There is limited evidence for hand therapy as a preventive treatment of Dupuytren disease. Before corrective treatment, the hand therapist can contribute with assessments to promote evaluation of outcome. After corrective treatment, hand therapy is tailored to each patient's needs and consists of orthoses, exercise, edema control, and pain or scar management. Orthoses are usually part of the hand therapy protocol after corrective procedures despite lack of strong supporting evidence and should be provided based on individual patient needs.

Keywords: Dupuytren disease; Edema; Exercise; Hand therapy; Orthoses; Patient education; Scar.