A key difference between contracture and stiffness lies in their resistance to force and the underlying cause: a contracture, even if severe, will yield to forceful stretching, while stiffness resists considerable force and can even support weight.
Here's a more detailed breakdown:
Contracture:
- Definition: A shortening and hardening of muscles, tendons, or other tissues, leading to deformity and rigidity of joints. It's a limitation in the passive range of motion.
- Yielding: An elastic contracture can be stretched with significant force, though it may be painful or require effort.
- Causes: Can result from various factors like immobility, muscle imbalances, neurological conditions (e.g., cerebral palsy), burns, and scarring. These conditions lead to changes in the structure of soft tissues surrounding the joint, such as muscle fibers shortening or connective tissue becoming dense.
- Example: A person with a mild hamstring contracture can still, with effort, straighten their leg.
Stiffness:
- Definition: A feeling of tightness or resistance to movement. It often refers to a more generalized feeling of reduced mobility. While it may be caused by contracture, it can also result from other conditions, such as arthritis or muscle soreness. It's often associated with a reduction in active range of motion as well.
- Resistance: Stiffness resists movement, and in severe cases, the affected area might even support body weight, indicating a high level of resistance to passive movement.
- Causes: Can stem from muscle soreness, inflammation, joint problems like arthritis, prolonged inactivity, or even psychological factors. Unlike contracture, stiffness might not involve actual structural changes in tissues.
- Example: Someone with arthritis in their knee might experience stiffness, particularly in the morning, making it difficult to bend their knee even with assistance.
Table Summarizing the Differences:
| Feature | Contracture | Stiffness |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Issue | Shortening and hardening of soft tissues (muscles, tendons, ligaments) | Feeling of tightness or resistance to movement; may involve tissue changes or not. |
| Yielding to Force | Yields with forceful stretching (elastic) | Resists considerable force and may support weight (rigid) |
| Nature | Structural changes in tissue | May or may not involve structural changes |
| Causes | Immobility, muscle imbalances, neurological conditions, burns, scarring | Muscle soreness, inflammation, joint problems (arthritis), inactivity, psychological factors |
| Movement | Restriction of passive range of motion | Restriction of active range of motion. Also possible restriction of passive range of motion |
In summary, while stiffness and contracture both limit movement, contracture involves actual shortening and hardening of tissues that can be stretched (though with difficulty), whereas stiffness represents a more general resistance to movement which may or may not involve structural changes and resists movement more rigidly.
