A 30-year-old firefighter suffers extensive third-degree burns over his arms and hands. This patient is at high risk for developing which of the following complications of wound healing?

Contracture. A mechanical reduction in the size of a wound depends on the presence of myofibroblasts and sustained cell contraction. An exaggeration of these processes is termed contracture and results in severe deformity of the wound and surrounding tissues. Contractures are particularly conspicuous in the healing of serious burns and can be severe enough to compromise the movement of joints.Diagnosis: Contracture