[Adult non-insulin-dependent diabetic: limitation of articular mobility and soft tissue involvement]

Periarticular involvement and joint mobility were investigated in 100 non insulin dependent diabetic patients, compared to 100 healthy control subjects of similar age and sex. Periarticular involvement was much more common in diabetics (p < 0.01) including limitation of joint mobility (hands) (40% vs 9%), Dupuytren (29% vs 2%), palmar synovitis (59% vs 7%) and capsulitis (16% vs 1%). Diabetic patients with limitation of joint mobility had more neuropathy (80% vs 56%), retinitis proliferans (35% vs 17%) and alterations of the skin of the hands, compared to diabetics without limitation of joint mobility. Diabetes should be investigated in subjects with periarticular manifestations such as those described in this paper. Also, a more advanced stage of diabetes may be suspected in diabetics with such manifestations.