title: Plantar fascia enthesopathy is highly prevalent in diabetic patients without peripheral neuropathy and correlates with retinopathy and impaired kidney function.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of plantar fascia (PF) enthesopathy in Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients without distal peripheral neuropathy (DPN).
  
  
  METHODS
  We recruited 50 T2DM patients without DPN and 50 healthy controls. DPN was excluded using the Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument (MNSI). All patients underwent a bilateral sonographicevaluation of the enthesealportion of the PF.
  
  
  RESULTS
  PF thickness was significantly higher in T2DM patients (p<0.0001). T2DM patients presented a higher prevalence of entheseal thickening (p = 0.002), enthesophyte (p = 0.02) and cortical irregularity (p = 0.02). The overall sum of abnormalities was higher in T2DM patients (p<0.0001), as was the percentage of bilateral involvement (p = 0.005). In a logistic regression analysis, retinopathy predicted entheseal thickening (OR 3.5, p = 0.05) and enthesophytes (OR 5.13, p = 0.001); reduced eGFR predicted enthesophytes (OR 2.93, p = 0.04); body mass index (BMI) predicted cortical irregularity (OR 0.87, p = 0.05); mean glucose predicted enthesophyte (OR 1.01, p = 0.03); LDL cholesterol predicted cortical irregularity (OR 0.98, p = 0.02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data suggest that T2DM is associated with PF enthesopathyindependently of DPN.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, University of Catanzaro "Magna Graecia", Catanzaro, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8194-8642
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ursini
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Catanzaro "Magna Graecia", Catanzaro, Italy.
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Arturi
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, University of Catanzaro "Magna Graecia", Catanzaro, Italy.
authors.forename: Kassandra
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nicolosi
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Catanzaro "Magna Graecia", Catanzaro, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ammendolia
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Department of Lucania, San Carlo Hospital of Potenza and Madonna delle Grazie Hospital of Matera, Potenza, Italy.
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: D'Angelo
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, University of Catanzaro "Magna Graecia", Catanzaro, Italy.
authors.forename: Emilio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Russo
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, University of Catanzaro "Magna Graecia", Catanzaro, Italy.
authors.forename: Saverio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Naty
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, University of Catanzaro "Magna Graecia", Catanzaro, Italy.
authors.forename: Caterina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bruno
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, University of Catanzaro "Magna Graecia", Catanzaro, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovambattista
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: De Sarro
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Department of Lucania, San Carlo Hospital of Potenza and Madonna delle Grazie Hospital of Matera, Potenza, Italy.
authors.forename: Ignazio
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Olivieri
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, University of Catanzaro "Magna Graecia", Catanzaro, Italy.
authors.forename: Rosa Daniela
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Grembiale
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003929:Diabetic Neuropathies / Q000503:physiopathology; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000070676:Enthesopathy / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005205:Fascia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013710:Tendons / Q000503:physiopathology