Changing the Natural History of Diabetic Neuropathy: Incidence of Ulcer/Amputation in the Contralateral Limb of Patients With a Unilateral Nerve Decompression Procedure

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The natural history of diabetes neuropathy is progressive and irreversible loss of sensibility in the feet, leading to ulceration and/or amputation in 15% of patients. The prevalence of neuropathy is more than 50% in those who have been diabetic for 20 years. Decompression of the tibial and peroneal nerves in those with diabetic neuropathy improves sensation in 70% of patients. The impact of this surgery on the development of ulcers and amputations in both the operated and the contralateral, nonoperated limb was evaluated in a retrospective analysis of 50 patients with diabetes a mean of 4.5 years (range, 2–7 years) from the date of surgery. No ulcers or amputations occurred in the index limb of these patients. In contrast, there were 12 ulcers and 3 amputations in 15 different patients in contralateral limbs. This difference was significant at P