In pathology, a contracture is a permanent shortening of a muscle or joint. It is usually in response to prolonged hypertonic spasticity in a concentrated muscle area, such as is seen in the tightest muscles of people with conditions like spastic cerebral palsy, but can also be due to the congenital abnormal development of muscles and connective tissue in the womb. Contractures develop when normally elastic tissues such as muscles or tendons are replaced by inelastic tissues (fibrosis). This results in the shortening and hardening of these tissues, ultimately causing rigidity, joint deformities and a total loss of movement around the joint. Most of the physical therapy, occupational therapy and other exercise regimens targeted towards people with spasticity focuses on trying to prevent contractures from happening in the first place. However, research on sustained traction of connective tissue in approaches such as adaptive yoga has demonstrated that contracture can be reduced, at the same time that tendency toward spasticity is addressed. Contractures can also be due to ischemia (restriction of blood flow) leading to the death of muscle tissue, as in Volkmanns contracture. They can also be caused by excessive myofibroblast and matrix metalloproteinase accumulation in wound margins following injury. See also
Arthrogryposis
Burn scar contracture
Capsular contracture
Clubfoot
Dupuytrens contracture
Freeman–Sheldon syndrome
Marden–Walker syndrome
Muscle contracture

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Diagnosis
The presence of glucagonoma syndrome, the symptoms that accompany the pancreatic tumor, as well as elevated levels of glucagon in the blood, are what is used to diagnose glucagonoma. When a person presents with a blood glucagon concentration greater than 500 mg/mL along with the glucagonoma syndrome, a diagnosis can be established. It is important to note that not all cases of hyperglucagonemia will lead to a diagnosis of glucagonoma. Elevated blood levels of glucagon are associated with other disorders like pancreatitis and kidney failure.About 60% of people diagnosed with glucagonoma are women. Most of those that are diagnosed are between 45–60 years of age. Treatment
People who are diagnosed with sporadic glucagonoma often have an increased mortality rate compared to those with MEN1, as the latter group will go to the doctor for periodic visits. People whose tumor have metastasized cannot easily be treated as the tumor is resistant to chemotherapy. The only curative therapy for glucagonoma is surgery, and even this is not always successful.Heightened glucagon secretion can be treated with the administration of octreotide, a somatostatin analog, which inhibits the release of glucagon. Doxorubicin and streptozotocin have also been used successfully to selectively damage alpha cells of the pancreatic islets. These do not destroy the tumor, but help to minimize progression of symptoms. History
Fewer than 251 cases of glucagonoma have been described in the literature since their first description by Becker in 1942. Because of its rarity (fewer than one in 20 million worldwide), long-term survival rates remain unknown.