A 60-year-old woman with a sacral pressure sore developed progressive flexion deformity of the hip joint with inability to extend the limb fully, caused by shortening of the healing scar tissue across the joint. This complication is termed:
- A Wound contraction
- B Dehiscence
- C Contracture ✓
- D Desmoplasia
Correct answer: C. Contracture
Explanation
Contracture is the pathological end result of excessive myofibroblast-driven contraction, where scar shortening across a joint restricts movement and causes fixed deformity. Wound contraction itself is a physiological and desirable process that reduces the open wound size during healing. Dehiscence is wound breakdown, and desmoplasia is stromal fibrosis around tumors, not a joint deformity.
Reference: Robbins and Cotran Pathologic Basis of Disease, 10th ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.