Development of Charcot Neuroarthropathy in Diabetic Patients who Received Kidney or Kidney-Pancreas Transplants

Only a small percentage of the general diabetic population develops Charcot neuroarthropathy. Charcot arthropathy greatly increases the risk of foot complications. At our academic institution, there appeared to be an increased incidence of Charcot arthropathy in transplant patients. We hypothesized that Charcot neuroarthropathy incidence is higher in the diabetic patients who had received kidney or kidney-pancreas transplants. The charts of 1000 patients were reviewed from January 2000 to January 2011. Four hundred and eighty-seven patients were included in the study. Of these diabetic patients, 249 had received a kidney transplant and 238 a kidney-pancreas transplant. The data were analyzed for the incidence of Charcot in each group. Other risk factors and sequelae were also evaluated and analyzed. The incidence of Charcot development in the diabetic patients who had a kidney-pancreas transplant was 18.4%, 44 of 238 patients. This was significantly higher than the incidence in kidney transplant patients, which was 11.2%, 28 of 249 patients (p < .05). Peripheral arterial disease was a statistically significant independent risk factor for developing ulceration, osteomyelitis, and subsequent amputation. Type 1 diabetic patients developed Charcot at a higher rate that was also statistically significant compared with type 2 diabetic patients. In our study, diabetic patients who had undergone kidney-pancreas transplants were associated with higher risk for development of Charcot neuroarthropathy than kidney transplants alone. The incidence of Charcot development in both these transplant groups was also much higher than in the general diabetic population. This is of particular interest to clinicians and surgeons as both transplant groups were found to be high risk for subsequent foot ulceration, infection, and amputation.