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Palmar fibromatosis (Dupuytren contracture) causes fibrosis of specific palmar fascial bands. These bands are subjected to repetitive mechanical strain in situ. Primary cell cultures were derived from (a) palmar fibromatosis from eight patients, (b) uninvolved palmar fascia (Skoog's fibers) from four of these patients, and (c) normal palmar fascia from four additional patients. The cells were plated onto collagen-coated membranes either subjected to cyclic strain (25% maximal strain at 1 Hz) or without strain. Bromodeoxyuridine incorporation showed an increase in proliferation in all cultures subjected to strain. This increase was highest for palmar fibromatosis (10 to 40% nuclear incorporation, p = 0.02). Skoog's fibers and fascia from the normal individuals showed a trend (not significant) toward increase with strain (8 to 25%, p = 0.15 for Skoog's fibers, and 8 to 15%, p = 0.45 for normal fascia). Cyclic strain increased the expression of platelet-derived growth factor-A relative to glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase in palmar fibromatosis (2.2 to 3.5, p = 0.05) and Skoog's fibers (0.8 to 2.0, p = 0.04). The expression of platelet-derived growth factor-B relative to glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase was enhanced by cyclic strain only in the fibromatosis tissue (0.7 to 2.1, p = 0.04). The normal fascia did not express platelet-derived growth factor. Platelet-derived growth factor neutralizing antibody decreased bromodeoxyuridine incorporation in fibromatosis cultures subjected to cyclic strain to near levels for those grown in the absence of strain (38 to 16%, p = 0.05). Conditioned medium from fibromatosis cells grown under stain showed a trend toward increased proliferation in additional fibromatosis cultures compared with conditioned medium from fibromatosis cells grown without strain (9 to 15% nuclear incorporation, p = 0.20). The observed palmar fibromatosis contracture can be partially explained on the basis of the cell's response to cyclic strain, which may be mediated by platelet-derived growth factor.