[1][2] A contracture is usually permanent, but less commonly can be temporary (such as in McArdle disease),[3] or resolve over time but reoccur later in life (such as in Bethlem myopathy 1).

However, research on sustained traction of connective tissue in approaches such as adaptive yoga has demonstrated that contracture can be reduced,[5] at the same time that tendency toward spasticity is addressed.

Large areas of missing skin (such as large burns, grazes, and gouges) drastically reduce the area of skin causing it to become tight when pulled together during wound healing.

[8] Studies on hypertrophic scars have shown a lack of improvement to both elasticity and stiffness suggesting a prolonged healing phase without amelioration seen in a normal wound-healing curve.

[8][6] For hypertrophic scars, timing is important when considering surgery, as over time scars will mature and may show decreased contractures along with flattening, softening, and repigmentation without surgical intervention.