[Psychogenic contracture, a trap for the orthopedic surgeon]

Dysfunctional posture is an enigmatic pathological entity now attributed to a conversion reaction (formerly to hysteria). When localized to the limbs, the main clinical feature is a contracture of one or several articular segments inflexion or extension. Most of the time, the contracture is released by anesthesia. Patients should be managed with a psychopathological approach. However, some patients continue to be managed in a surgical department because the contracture became apparent after a trauma or surgical procedure. The orthopedic surgeon must be aware of this phenomenon in order to avoid unnecessary operations.