Abstract:

Objective To investigate the relationship between type 2 diabetic peripheral neuropathy and severity of osteoarthritis of knee. Methods Two hundred patients with osteoarthritis of knee and type 2 diabetes mellitus and 171 patients with osteoarthritis of knee and no type 2 diabetes mellitus were selected. The severity of osteoarthritis of knee was determined by X-ray examination, the status of peripheral neuropathy was assessed by electromyography, the diabetes mellitus-related parameters of fasting blood glucose, 2 h post-prandial blood glucose, glycosylated serum protein and glycated hemoglobin were detected by autoanalyser, and the relationship between diabetes mellitus, diabetic peripheral neuropathy and severity of osteoarthritis of knee was evaluated by Logistic regression analysis. Results Logistic analysis revealed that the status of diabetes mellitus （OR=1.66, P=0.009）, fasting blood glucose （OR=2.11, P<0.001), 2 h post-prandial blood glucose （OR=1.57, P<0.001), glycosylated serum protein （OR=1.63, P<0.001) and glycated hemoglobin （OR=2.22, P<0.001) were significantly related to the severity of osteoarthritis of knee. The status of diabetes mellitus was significantly related to the status of peripheral neuropathy （OR=1.73, P<0.001）. The status of diabetic peripheral neuropathy was significantly related to the severity of osteoarthritis of knee （OR=1.92, P=0.016), and diabetic peripheral neural degeneration （OR=2.2, P=0.008) and diabetic peripheral neural abnormality （OR=6.35, P=0.029) were significantly related to the severity of osteoarthritis of knee. Conclusion Type 2 diabetic peripheral neuropathy might be related to the severity of osteoarthritis of knee. The relatively mild symptoms in some patients with severe osteoarthritis might be caused by diabetic peripheral neuropathy, and should be attached greater importance.

Key words: type 2 diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy, osteoarthritis