Abstract
OBJECTIVE - To compare risks of lower-extremity amputation between patients with Charcot arthropathy and those with diabetic foot ulcers. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS - A retrospective cohort of patients with incident Charcot arthropathy or diabetic foot ulcers in 2003 was followed for 5 years for any major and minor amputations in the lower extremities. RESULTS- After a mean follow-up of 37 ± 20 and 43 ± 18 months, the Charcot and ulcer groups had 4.1 and 4.7 amputations per 100 person-years, respectively. Among patients <65 years old at the end of follow-up, amputation risk relative to patients with Charcot alone was 7 times higher for patients with ulcer alone and 12 times higher for patients with Charcot and ulcer. CONCLUSIONS - Charcot arthropathy by itself does not pose a serious amputation risk, but ulcer complication multiplicatively increases the risk. Early surgical intervention for Charcot patients in the absence of deformity or ulceration may not be advisable.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 98-100 |
Number of pages | 3 |
Journal | Diabetes Care |
Volume | 33 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jan 2010 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Internal Medicine
- Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
- Advanced and Specialized Nursing