contribution of Australian research to Dupuytren’s disease

Abstract

Introduction: While the history and epidemiology of Dupuytren's disease (DD) is well documented, its aetiology and risk factors, pathogenesis and treatment to this day are still being studied. This paper explores and summarises the significant contributions Australian researchers have made to the understanding of DD and its treatment methodologies.  Methods: We performed a systematic search on EMBASE from 1947 until March 2019 to identify all English literature using keywords: ‘Dupuytren/Dupuytrens/Dupuytren’s disease’ and ‘Australia/Australian/Australasian’. Relevant articles were also identified through bibliographic links. A separate search was conducted using Google Scholar, Research Gate and PubMed using the same keywords. In total, 40 articles were identified. A library search was also conducted, with one book identified with an Australian author. The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons Journal of Surgery was also analysed for published abstracts pertaining to DD from conference presentations between 2014 to 2019. Results and discussion: We present a narrative discussion of Australian research that has contributed to the understanding of DD from its aetiology to treatment methodologies.  Conclusion: Numerous Australians have made significant contributions to the understanding of DD, its pathogenesis, development and multiple treatment modalities, both non-surgical and surgical. Dupuytren’s disease is a progressive disease that reoccurs despite our best efforts and will continue to be a topic of focus for some time to come.