Type 2 Diabetes, Obesity and Charcot Foot

It's old news that America's obesity epidemic is causing an epidemic of type 2 diabetes. The media frequently reminds us, and the Center for Disease Control Obesity Report confirms it. By definition, an obese person is anyone carrying over 20% beyond healthy weight for age and height. For diabetics, this can cause diabetic nerve damage, meaning a sprain or minor stress fracture simply does not hurt.

Not so well known may be the increase in severe diabetic foot problems, sometimes leading to amputation of an entire leg, as reported in a September 2006 issue of Newswise. Once rare, a difficult to treat condition is becoming more common, called Charcot Foot.

Why Does Charcot Occur?

According to a Loyola Health System report in Newswise on July 14th, 2010, Charcot Foot happens when a diabetic has a minor injury to a foot, but they are unaware because they cannot feel the pain of the injury. Over time, the simple sprain or minor stress fracture becomes the severe foot deformity, Charcot Foot.

Obesity and diabetes cause nerve damage which causes feet to lose the sense of pain. Then the injured person unknowingly keeps walking on an injured foot as usual. Over time, what began as just a sprain or a minor stress fracture becomes the severe foot deformity and potential life threatening condition that is Charcot Foot. With this condition, patients lose their ability to walk, and many must have the foot or leg amputated, due to bone infection. If the infection is left untreated, the patient may die.

Once a rare condition, Charcot Foot makes it hard or impossible to walk. It can lead to amputation of foot or leg, or even death. The higher the number of type 2 diabetes cases, the more Charcot is occurring. But knowledge is power to treatment, recovery and prevention.

New Hope and New Treatment

In the July 14^th news release by Loyola Health System's Dr. Michael Pinzur (foot and ankle specialist and surgeon) also shared at Disabled World Disability and Health News there is new hope for treatment of Charcot Foot without amputation. Surgeons can now secure the bones together with an external frame. This replaces the traditional practices of applying casts, surgically inserting screws and plates.

According to Dr. Pinzur's study at Loyola Health System, his newly proven circular external fixator easily replaces and improves recovery odds, as compared to traditional practices. This external device gives patients the ability to either walk or bear some weight on the foot, and remove the fixator in about three months. Casts and internal metal devices often leave the patient in a wheelchair for up to nine months, along with follow-up bracing and more months of physical therapy beyond those with the external frame.

The Bottom Line

Because of America's rising obesity and type 2 diabetes, Charcot Foot is also on the rise, bringing with it a need for more and better treatment options.

Dr. Pinzur and his team at Loyola Health System developed the circular external fixator. The fixator is worth more than an arm and a leg when one's independence and very life are at risk, as in a severe type 2 diabetic complication such as Charcot Foot.