04/27/2022
CHARCOT ARTHROPATHY
🦶 Charcot arthropathy is a condition that causes bone weakening and destruction in the foot. It typically occurs in patients who have nerve damage, neuropathy. Symptoms include: warmth to touch, swelling, redness, and pain.
🦶 Non-surgical treatment involves activity modifications, immobilization with a CROW boot, CAM boot, crutches and/or use of a wheel chair. When the destructive phase is over and the bones are healed the patient may transition into shoes with special inserts and/or brace.
🦶 If non-surgical treatment fails, and the joints collapse causing a rocker-bottom appearance surgery will be required. This patient of ours underwent a medial column fusion. The purpose of the procedure was to restore a stable plantigrade foot that will be amendable to functional ambulation without any future skin breakdown.
👩🏻⚕️👨🏻⚕️ Monitoring sugar levels is almost as important as immobilization!