Abstract
Normal tendons and palmar aponeuroses from patients with carpal tunnel syndrome and tissues of the palmar aponeuroses from patients with Dupuytren’s contracture were subjected to biomechanical tests. Several parameters characterizing the viscoelastic load response of the tissues were investigated. The tissues from patients with Dupuytren’s contracture were classified according to their macroscopic and histological appearance into apparently normal palmar aponeuroses, thickened fibre bundles and contracture bands. There were biomechanical differences between the normal palmar aponeuroses and the apparently normal palmar aponeuroses indicating that biomechanical changes occur before thickening of fibres or cellular proliferation can be observed. Significant biomechanical changes occurred between apparently normal palmar aponeuroses and thickened fibre bundles.
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