Charcot foot is a debilitating condition that affects diabetics. It leads to weakening of the bones within the foot. The cause is linked to neuropathy, which is a common symptom of diabetes. Since the bones begin to weaken, this can result in small fractures within the foot. People with neuropathy stemming from diabetes can't feel pain in their feet, which can make diagnosing and treating Charcot foot difficult for podiatrists. However, there is a foot surgery that has been specifically designed to allow for better healing results.
How Does the Condition Progress if Untreated?
If Charcot foot is not treated effectively, it can result in deformity of the foot. As the bones weaken and fracture, the shape of the foot will change and become deformed. In some cases, the result is disability, but there are instances where amputation is required if the condition progresses without effective treatment. Symptoms linked to Charcot foot include redness, warmth, swelling and occasional soreness of the foot. The symptoms can be present on any part of the foot.
Rest Vs. Surgical Procedure
In the past, treating Charcot foot was done through rest alone. Patients would be advised to stay off of their feet for two to three months at a time to allow the fractures to fully heal. Since rest is not completely effective in treating this foot condition, a surgical procedure has been developed and is seeing effective results.
Charcot foot can make walking difficult for many people dealing with this condition, but this surgical procedure has made walking easier. This foot surgery involves placing external frames made of stainless steel within foot bones to make them more stable and to lessen the risk of fractures. The device that is placed into the foot during this surgical procedure is known as a circular external fixator.
Could This Foot Surgery be the Best Treatment Option?
Charcot Foot patents that are dealing with fractures have the ability to see if they are candidates for this foot surgery. Not all patients are candidates if their foot has already been deformed and then reshaped. This is a procedure that is ideal for patients that are just diagnosed with this condition. Charcot foot is a debilitating disease of the foot that only progressively worsens with time. Patients that want to avoid potential amputation should look into this treatment as an option when dealing with foot fractures stemming from neuropathy.
Share17 July 2015
I knew that my hearing wasn’t as good as it had once been, but I was still upset when my doctor told me that I had a significant hearing loss in both ears, and that I was going to need hearing aids if I wanted to participate more fully in my day to day life. But then I started researching hearing aids. I was thrilled to find out that there were small, barely visible aids that could help me hear without marking me as hearing impaired on first glance. Even better, the hearing aids were much more advanced than I’d thought. The ones that I chose can actually help cancel out environmental noise, like the clatter of a loud restaurant, so that I can focus on conversation with the waitress or the person across the table. My hearing aids have really improved my life.
