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Exp Clin Endocrinol Diabetes 2006; 114(3): 118-123
DOI: 10.1055/s-2006-924026
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J. A. Barth Verlag in Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

The Diabetic Charcot Foot: MRI Discloses Bone Stress Injury as Trigger Mechanism of Neuroarthropathy

E. Chantelau1 , A. Richter1 , P. Schmidt-Grigoriadis2 , W. A. Scherbaum1
  • 1Department of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Rheumatology, Heinrich-Heine-University of Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
  • 2Formerly Department of Anatomy, Heinrich-Heine-University of Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
Further Information

Publication History

Received: August 13, 2005 First decision: November 11, 2005

Accepted: February 3, 2006

Publication Date:
25 April 2006 (online)

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Abstract

It is generally accepted that traumatic bone injury contributes to the clinical picture of neuroarthropathy of the foot in diabetes, i.e., of the diabetic Charcot foot. While radiology is capable of visualizing only advanced bone injuries, like complete fractures, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) discloses bone injuries that precede complete fractures (stress bone injuries). In diabetic polyneuropathy, stress bone injuries are silent in terms of pain, due to the lack of pain sensation. At the foot, their clinical appearance is characterized by inflammatory swelling with little or no pain. The present paper reviews the contribution of MRI to the detection of bone injuries in what is called stage 0 Charcot foot, with emphasis on the bearings for the treatment strategy.

Key words

Diabetic foot - osteoarthropathy - polyneuropathy - diabetes mellitus - bone bruise

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Prof. Dr. med. E. Chantelau

Diabetes-Fußambulanz
MNR-Klinik
Klinik für Endokrinologie, Diabetologie und Rheumatologie

Postfach 10 10 07

40001 Düsseldorf

Germany

Email: lobnig@med.uni-duesseldorf.de

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