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Charcot Foot Syndrome: Aetiology and Diagnosis

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Functional Limb Salvage

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Abstract

Charcot foot disease is virtually unique in clinical medicine. Despite being first described in 1868, there remains no accepted understanding of its causes, its aetiology or its best treatment. A very high percentage of hospital physicians admit to having limited awareness of the condition—despite the fact that the consequence of delayed diagnosis can often lead to loss of a lower limb through major amputation.

This review considers the history of the condition and the limitations of clinical advance in the last 150 years. It also considers the multiple processes which are now known can lead to its onset and especially to the key roles played by different aspects of neuropathy. The most recent advances highlight the need for closer collaboration between all involved in the management of new cases as well as in the planning of new research into the aetiology of the Charcot foot and its best management.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Since this manuscript has been submitted, the authors have advanced new speculation to provide an explanation for the observation that the Charcot foot is so uncommon—even though the changes which predispose to it may affect a very high percentage of people with diabetes [68].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Nottingham, UK

    William Jeffcoate

  2. University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust, Derby, UK

    Fran Game

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  1. William Jeffcoate
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Correspondence to Fran Game .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Plastic Surgery, Georgetown University School of Medicine and MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, DC, USA

    Christopher E. Attinger

  2. Department of Plastic Surgery, Georgetown University School of Medicine and MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, DC, USA

    John S. Steinberg

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Jeffcoate, W., Game, F. (2023). Charcot Foot Syndrome: Aetiology and Diagnosis. In: Attinger, C.E., Steinberg, J.S. (eds) Functional Limb Salvage. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-27725-2_17

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-27725-2_17

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