I'm new to the forum and thought I'd tell my story. About 5 years ago, I noticed the thick cord developing on the outside surface of my little finger. Both my father and sister had contractors at different times. It only took about a year and a half to bend to 40 degrees. I had surgery on it to scrape off the scar tissue.

The surgery was a success but immobilization afterwards was pretty hard on my finger. I also have arthritis from autoimmune diseases (lupus and Sjogrens). Every time I worked with the joint, the middle knuckle (PIP) would swell up in protest. Over time, I was able to both bend and straighten my little finger. But it didn't stay straight. Even wearing a loose brace, the knuckle would swell and start to hurt in the brace.

Over time, the thickened cord came back. This time, when the contracture was big enough, I had the Xiaflex injections. They worked great. I wish I had done them the first time. Mostly, because it didn't require immobilization of the finger. My knuckle was still a problem though.

It's been two years now since my last treatment. The finger is now bent at about 45 degrees. The cord didn't thicken at first - this appears to have been a knuckle contracture. But the lumps on my palm have been growing. And now I can feel a slight thickening along the edge.

I'm almost ready to contact the hand specialist again and see what my options are. Its pretty discouraging. My overall autoimmune inflammation complicates the situation. I'm open to any ideas or experiences people have had which could be applicable to my experience.

Thx

Thanks for that suggestion. I haven't seen the glove before. No, I don't think that would hurt my knuckle. It reminds me that wearing the elastic tubes (like Ace bandage tubes) over my finger helped as well, but tended to cut off the circulation. The glove might be a good compromise.

The glove I was looking at was more of a splint to keep the fingers from curling up after surgery. Probably not what you're looking for. Cycling gloves sound great for the palmar bumps. Have you googled (or checked amazon) for gloves with padded fingers? There must be some industrial use for such gloves. There were some that said anti-vibration gloves.

Edited 10/12/17 02:55

In this thread, I was more interested in ways to stabilize my knuckle contracture which came about after Dupuytrens treatments and presumably as a result of my overall inflammation. Yes, I've been on a modified autoimmune protocol (AIP) for about 4 years now. It makes a big difference. I've tried many diets throughout the years and this one seems right for me, although I'm always tweaking it. Diet doesn't do everything. I still take lots of meds. My knuckles still get inflamed.