Palmar fascia is a layer of fibrous tissue beneath the skin of the palm and fingers.
Fascial attachment to both the skin and underlying bone helps prevent slippage of the skin when an object is grasped. Dupuytren's disease is an abnormal thickening of the palmar fascia. The contracture of the diseased fascia, which forms a band, cord or pit, is known as Dupuytren's contracture. Guillaume Dupuytren, a French surgeon, clarified the nature of this disease in 1831. His classic dissections and teachings led to the adoption of his name to identify the condition.