Anatomical Abnormality
contracture Audio
con·trac·ture [ kuhn-trak-cher ]
Subclass of:
Arthropathy; Myopathy
Definitions related to contracture:
  • High resistance to passive stretch of a muscle, resulting from fibrosis of the tissue supporting the muscles or the joints, or from disorder of the muscle fibers.
    CRISP Thesaurus
    National Institutes of Health, 2006
  • Prolonged shortening of the muscle or other soft tissue around a joint, preventing movement of the joint.
    NLM Medical Subject Headings
    U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2021
  • Shortening of a muscle, usually because of disease or lack of use, that limits joint movement.
    Harvard Dictionary of Health Terms
    Harvard Medical Publishing, 2011
  • (muscle contracture) Permanent contraction of a muscle as a result of spasm or paralysis.
    NCI Thesaurus
    U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
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This content should not be used in place of medically-reviewed decision support reference material or professional medical advice. Some terms may have alternate or updated definitions not reflected in this set. The definitions on this page should not be considered complete or up to date.