n :  a condition marked by fibrosis with shortening and thickening of the palmar aponeurosis resulting in flexion contracture of the fingers into the palm of the hand
 
Du•puy•tren, Guillaume (1777-1835), French surgeon. Dupuytren was the leading French surgeon of his day. His greatest achievements were in surgical pathology, and they include: the first excision of the lower jaw (1812), a successful ligation of the external iliac artery (1815), the first successful treatment of aneurysm by compression (1818), a successful ligation of the subclavian artery (1819), surgical treatment of wryneck (1822), the development of an operation for the creation of an artificial anus (1828), and a classification of burns into four divisions (1832). The contracture that bears his name was described in 1831.
 
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