Charcot knee - presentation, diagnosis, management - a scoping review

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Rheumatology
• Medical Diagnostics

Background:

• Charcot arthropathy of the knee (CK) is a rare, progressive, non-infectious, destructive inflammatory condition.
• Delayed diagnosis of CK leads to severe patient morbidity and reduced quality of life.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the existing literature on Charcot arthropathy of the knee (CK).
• To identify pathognomonic features for earlier diagnosis of CK.
• To highlight gaps in current research for future studies.

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature search was conducted across PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science.
• Included studies were primary research (case reports, series, retrospective studies).
• Excluded were review articles and animal studies.

Main Results:

• 58 studies were included, with an average diagnostic delay of 50.5 months.
• Commonly associated conditions include diabetes mellitus (18 studies) and syphilis (21 studies).
• Key findings include pain disproportionate to destruction, edema, joint effusion, hypoesthesia, and decreased reflexes; treatments varied from conservative to arthrodesis and TKA.

Conclusions:

• The body of literature on CK is sparse, predominantly consisting of case reports.
• There is a significant need for evidence-based strategies for early diagnosis and management of CK.
• Further research is essential to improve the quality of life and reduce morbidity for CK patients.