与其他人种相比,欧洲人种的掌腱膜挛缩症患病率较高,在欧洲,北部国家的该病患病率高于地中海国家。[4]Ross DC. Epidemiology of Dupuytren's disease. Hand Clin. 1999;15:53-62.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10050242?tool=bestpractice.com大多数研究发现,苏格兰北部、冰岛和挪威人患掌腱膜挛缩症的比率最高,因而获得“维京病”的别名。[2]Hart MG, Hooper G. Clinical associations of Dupuytren's disease. Postgrad Med J. 2005;81:425-428.http://pmj.bmj.com/content/81/957/425.longhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15998816?tool=bestpractice.com
在英国,该病的总体患病率约 4%,在 65 岁以上患者中,该病患病率上升至 20% 左右。[5]Early PF. Population studies in Dupuytren's contracture. J Bone Joint Surg. 1962;44:602-613.http://www.bjj.boneandjoint.org.uk/content/44-B/3/602.full.pdf在美国,白人群体患掌腱膜挛缩症的比率约为 4%-6%,[6]Hueston J. Dupuytren's contracture. Curr Orthop. 1988;2:173-178.且该病的男性患病率是女性的两倍。[5]Early PF. Population studies in Dupuytren's contracture. J Bone Joint Surg. 1962;44:602-613.http://www.bjj.boneandjoint.org.uk/content/44-B/3/602.full.pdf在冰岛,调查发现该病累及 19.2% 的男性但却仅累及 4.4% 的女性。[7]Gudmundsson KG, Armgrimsson R, Jonsson T. Eighteen years follow-up study of the clinical manifestations and progression of Dupuytren's disease. Scand J Rheumatol. 2001;30:31-34.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11252689?tool=bestpractice.com掌腱膜挛缩症的发病率随年龄的增长而升高。
在非白人群体中,偶有掌腱膜挛缩症的报告:[8]Muguti GI, Appelt B. Dupuytren's contracture in black Zimbabweans. Cent Afr J Med. 1993;39:129-132.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8131202?tool=bestpractice.com[9]Saboeiro AP, Porkorny JJ, Shehadi SI, et al. Racial distribution of Dupuytren's disease in Department of Veterans Affairs patients. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2000;106:71-75.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10883614?tool=bestpractice.com尤其是非洲裔美国人。[10]Mitra A, Goldstein RY. Dupuytren's contracture in the black population: a review. Ann Plast Surg. 1994;32:619-622.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8074370?tool=bestpractice.com虽然在日本人群中该病的发病率与在北欧人群中类似,但是其严重程度要低得多,并且许多日本患者并不会发展至挛缩晚期。[11]Abe Y, Rokkaku T, Ofuchi S, et al. Dupuytren's disease on the radial aspect of the hand: report on 135 hands in Japanese patients. J Hand Surg Br. 2004;29:359-362.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15234500?tool=bestpractice.com