Diabetes affects almost 6% of the population in the United States or about 16 million people. Diabetic Charcot foot syndrome is a rare and serious complication. Charcot foot or Charcot arthropathy affects people with peripheral neuropathy and diabetes mellitus. It is a limb-threatening lower-extremity complication of diabetes.
Diabetes is a serious condition of elevated blood sugar. Diabetic foot problems are a major health concern and might lead to hospitalization. Charcot's foot affects the joints, bones, and soft tissues of the ankle or foot.
The bones of the foot become weak in this condition and can break. This can lead to the joints in the foot or ankle dislocating. The joints in the foot collapse and the foot becomes deformed if this is not diagnosed in its earliest stage.
Eventually, pressure sores develop in the foot or ankle due to a deformed foot. This causes open wounds leading to infection and amputation.
Cause of Charcot Foot
Neuropathy is the main cause of developing Charcot's foot. This decreases the sensation and the ability to feel temperature, pain, or trauma. This is a common problem among diabetic people. Neuropathy or nerve damage diminishes the sensation of pain, injury, or trauma increases the risk of developing Charcot's foot. Additionally, neuropathic patients suffering from a tight Achilles tendon have a tendency to develop Charcot foot.
Broken bone or injury in the foot, if not treated on time can worsen the deformity leading to foot sores and infection. Charcot's foot is one of the major complications after organ transplantation in patients with diabetes.
The arch collapses as the mid-foot is involved in the Charcot foot, which rounds the bottom of the foot. This is referred to as rocker-bottom foot deformity. The toes might also start to curve under claws or ankles depending on the location of the bone break, leading to deformed and unstable feet.
Nerve damage or neuropathy is a diabetic complication leading to a loss of sensation in the feet. People suffering from diabetes sometimes can no longer feel irritation or even punctured skin. A small wound such as a blister can progress to a serious infection in a matter of days.
Diabetes causes damage to blood vessels that would decrease the blood flow to the feet. The bones become weak due to poor circulation and can cause disintegration of the bones and joints in the foot and ankle. People with diabetes are at high risk for breaking bones in the feet.
Diabetic patients may not realize when a bone fractures in the foot, because of nerve damage. They would continue to walk on the injured foot. This would lead to more severe fractures and joint dislocations. Sharp edges of broken bone within the foot would point downward toward the ground. This would increase the risk of chronic foot sores from the abnormal pressure on the foot.
Bone disintegration and trauma can warp and deform the shape of the foot. This is known as Charcot arthropathy. This is one of the most serious foot problems that diabetics face.
Symptoms of Charcot Foot
Charcot arthropathy has other symptoms including pain such as:
- Swelling of the foot occurring without an obvious injury.
- Redness of the foot might occur in the early stages.
- The swelling, redness of the foot
- Warmth to the touch (the affected foot feels warmer than the other
- Changes to the bone visible in x-ray
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