VOLKMANN CONTRACTURE

Course overview

VOLKMANN CONTRACTURE, ALSO KNOWN AS VOLKMANN ISCHEMIC CONTRACTURE, IS A CLAW-LIKE DEFORMITY OF THE HAND NAMED AFTER THE 19-CENTURY GERMAN DOCTOR RICHARD VON VOLKMANN. THE NAME VOLKMANN ISCHEMIC CONTRACTURE IS SELF-EXPLANATORY. ISCHEMIC REFERS TO THE POSSIBLE ETIOLOGY, AND CONTRACTURE INDICATES SHORTENING. THIS CONDITION IS A PERMANENT FLEXION DEFORMITY AT THE WRIST AND FINGERS THAT RESULTS IN A CLAW-LIKE PRESENTATION OF THE HAND. THIS PRESENTATION IS DUE TO THE PERMANENT SHORTENING OF THE FLEXOR GROUP OF MUSCLES IN THE FOREARM AND THUS MAY RESULT IN PAIN ON PASSIVE FLEXION OF THE WRIST AND FINGERS. THIS ACTIVITY DESCRIBES THE EVALUATION AND MANAGEMENT OF VOLKMANN CONTRACTURE AND ITS PREQUEL ACUTE COMPARTMENT SYNDROME AND REVIEWS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN EVALUATING AND TREATING PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.