The document explains contractures as adaptive shortening of muscle-tendon units causing limited range of motion and functional impairment. It discusses various types of contractures including myostatic, arthrogenic, pseudomyostatic, and fibrotic, along with their causes such as paralysis and muscular atrophy. Therapeutic approaches for contracture management include positioning, heat application, stretching techniques, massage, and manual joint mobilization.

1. CONTRACTURE
By-physioworld

2. CONTENT-
1. CONTRACTURE
2. TYPES OF CONTRACTURE
3. WHY CONTRACTURE OCCURS?
4. THERAPY OF CONTRACTURE
by-physioworld 2

3. CONTRACTURE-
Contracture is defined as the adaptive shortening of the muscle-tendon unit and other soft tissues that
cross or surround a joint resulting in significant resistance to passive or active stretch and limitation of
ROM, which may compromise functional abilities.
◦ Types of Contracture
by-physioworld
ARTHROGENC
CONTRACTURE
MYOSTATIC
CONTRACTURE
PSEUDOMYOSTATIC
CONTRACTURE
FIBROTIC
CONTRACTURE
3

4. Myostatic contracture Arthrogenic contracture
• Intra-articular pathology
• Also called periarticular contracture
• Changes may have adhesion, synovial
proliferation, joint effusion.
• Restrict normal arthrokinematics motion
• Lose mobility
Psuedomyostatic contracture
• Impaired mobility, limited ROM result in
hypertonicity
• CNS lesion, muscle spasm
• Rise to excessive resistance to passive
stretch
• Reduce muscle tension temporarily
Fibrotic contracture
• Fibrous changes in connective tissue of muscle
and and peri-articular structures.
• Eventual increase ROM
• Difficult to re establish optimal tissue length
• Permanent loss of extensibility can occur; if long
period of immobilization
• Musculotendinous unit shortened.
• Loss of ROM
• Reduction inn number of sarcomere
• No decrease in sarcomere length
• Resolved with stretching.
by-physioworld 4

5. WHY CONTRACTURE OCCURS?
◦ Paralysis
◦ Muscular atrophy
◦ Muscular dystrophy
◦ Loss of strength
◦ Loss of muscle control
◦ Stiffness in tendon
by-physioworld 5

6. THERAPY OF CONTRACTURE
◦ Positioning- assessed by lying, sitting or
standing. Make is functional as possible to
prevent muscle shortening and will decrease pain.
◦ Heat- to decrease muscle pain and assist tissue
lengthening before stretching
◦ Stretching- use of splints or casts for prolong
stretch
◦ Massage- maintain tissue mobility and nutrition
◦ Manual techniques- joint mobilization used to
increase joint flexibility and decreases pain.
◦ Advice and support- orthotic device and
adaptive equipment
by-physioworld 6

7. by-physioworld
Thank you
The next video-
• Properties of tissue
LIKE
SHARE
COMMENT
SUBSCRIBE
7