Dave Mustaine has spoken again about Dupuytren’s contracture, the progressive hand condition affecting his ability to play guitar and one of the major factors behind Megadeth’s decision to begin winding down their career.
During a September 8 conversation with Rolling Stone’s Kory Grow at New York City’s Kaufman Music Center, held to celebrate the release of his new memoir In My Darkest Hour, Mustaine discussed what his life may look like once Megadeth’s extended farewell tour is complete. While he expects music to remain part of his future in some capacity, his ability to continue performing will depend heavily on what happens with his hand.
"Espero que Dios me cure”, dijo Mustaine, antes de imaginar incluso que algún futuro avance tecnológico pudiera devolverle completamente la función de la mano. Mientras tanto, aseguró que pretende mantenerse optimista y seguir tocando lo mejor que pueda.
Dupuytren’s contracture is a condition in which tissue beneath the skin of the palm gradually thickens and contracts. Over time, cords of tissue can develop and pull one or more fingers toward the palm, making them increasingly difficult — or eventually impossible — to straighten completely. It commonly progresses over a period of years and most often affects the ring and little fingers, although other fingers can also be involved.
There is currently no definitive cure for Dupuytren’s contracture. Depending on severity, treatments can improve movement or reduce its effects through procedures including needling, certain injections and surgery. The condition can return even after treatment.
For a musician whose technique depends on rapid, precise and independent finger movement, progressive loss of extension and mobility presents an obvious challenge. Mustaine has made clear that in his case the condition is no longer an abstract future concern: it is already shaping how he thinks about the amount of time he has left as a performing guitarist.
In January 2026, Mustaine said he could still play but that the condition was progressing. His position was straightforward: he intended to continue until the moment he physically could not. He also said the idea of touring while another guitarist performed his parts did not feel right to him.
Dupuytren’s contracture is not Mustaine’s only physical issue after more than four decades of touring and playing guitar. He has also publicly discussed arthritis, bulging discs, cervical problems, a lumbar injury and previous spinal fusion surgery near his neck.
When explaining in December 2025 why Megadeth had decided to make one final album and begin a farewell tour, Mustaine directly cited those physical problems. He recalled telling his manager that his hands were hurting and that he did not know how much longer he could continue, a conversation that eventually led to serious discussions with the band and his family about bringing Megadeth to an end.
Mustaine has long maintained that he does not want to continue once he can no longer deliver the level of performance he expects. That standard carries particular weight with Megadeth, a band whose identity has been inseparable from his guitar playing since its formation, from the speed and precision of thrash to the intricate arrangements heard on albums such as Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying? and Rust in Peace.
The farewell will not necessarily be brief. Mustaine has previously suggested the touring cycle could continue for several years as Megadeth attempt to visit the many regions where they have built an audience. At the New York event, he called the experience “bittersweet” and acknowledged that knowing these performances belong to the final phase of the band does not feel good.
