Re: Surveyors, help more advice needed, re contractures & Section G

[Corey]

Has this changed since I went to nursing school 30 years ago?  I was taught that a contracture was a physical limitation of movement caused by shortening of the tendon which then was compounded in some cases by calcium deposition over the joint.  An inability to voluntary move an extremity was termed paralysis.  A short definition of contracture is "a condition of fixed high resistance to passive stretch of a muscle, resulting from fibrosis of the tissues, supporting the muscles or the joints, or from disorders of the muscle fibres."  That came from the 2002 eDictionary of medical terms, and I'm certain that the paper versions are similar.  The surveyor is incorrect, unless there has been a major change in the definition of contracture lately.    Corey ----- Original Message ----- From: Kathy Archibald To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, December 02, 2003 7:53 PM Subject: Surveyors, help more advice needed, re contractures & Section G Can someone direct me to generally accepted definition for contractures.  I always thought contractures were irreversible except by surgery.  If we can assist a resident to open his hand, even though the resident can not do it voluntarily due to CVA, I would not have said the resident has a contracture, however the surveyor says no, it is a contracture if the resident can not do it himself.  I understand it is a functional limitation, but not a contracture, or am I splitting hairs???? HELP!