Topical issues of the surgical treatment of diabetic Charcot osteoarthropathy
Charcot osteoarthropathy is one of the rare complications of diabetes, which is poorly covered in literature. Along with a number of unsolved questions about pathogenesis of Charcot foot, there are no surgical treatment algorithms with proved effectiveness from the point of view of evidence-based medicine. Another less known aspect is the treatment of purulent-necrotic complications of the pathology. In this article we present our analysis of patient outcomes in Gomel Regional Center of «Diabetic Foot» during 2012. Diabetic osteoarthropathy was detected in 16 patients (12% of patients with diabetic foot syndrome), 9 (56%) patients were admitted with purulent-necrotic complications and all of them were surgically treated: abscesses were taped and drained in 7 patients (78%), 2 (22%) – had amputations at the shin. The features of surgical technique and postoperative management of patients with osteoarthropathy are described.