title: Osteopenia, neurological dysfunction, and the development of Charcot neuroarthropathy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine factors that might be associated with the development of Charcot neuroarthropathy.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional prevalence study examined neurological function and bone density in matched groups of neuropathic diabetic patients with and without radiological evidence of Charcot neuroarthropathy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with Charcot neuroarthropathy had a global impairment of neurological function that was significantly greater than that of otherwise matched non-Charcot neuropathic patients. All 17 Charcot patients had evidence of autonomic neuropathy compared with 10 of the control subjects (P = 0.03). The Charcot patients had evidence of reduced bone density in the lower limbs compared with the neuropathic control subjects (P = 0.009), but relatively preserved bone density in the spine (P = 0.4 vs. control subjects).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude that minor trauma in diabetic patients with peripheral neuropathy might result in a fracture in those with a reduced bone density and thus trigger the development of Charcot neuroarthropathy.
authors.affiliation: University Department of Medicine, Manchester Royal Infirmary, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marshall
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Adams
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Selby
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Boulton
mesh_terms: D015519:Bone Density; D001851:Bone Diseases, Metabolic / Q000150:complications*; D002607:Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications; D003929:Diabetic Neuropathies / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence