Effect of polyneuropathy on development of unilateral diabetic foot ulcer

This study investigates polyneuropathy in patients with unilateral diabetic foot ulcer by using electrophysiological methods and discusses whether electrophysiological parameters are predictive of diabetic foot ulcer development. Materials and methods: Fifty-two diabetic patients with unilateral diabetic foot ulcers (31 females, 21 males; mean age of 58.5 years) were included in the study. Results: In the upper extremities, motor fibers were affected in 82% and sensorial fibers were affected in 85% of the subjects. In the lower extremities, motor fibers were affected in 90% of the subjects in the injured site and in 79% of the patients in the intact site, and sensorial fibers were affected in 100% of the patients bilaterally. H-reflex was delayed in 93.2% of the patients at the injured site and in 86.4% of the patients at the intact site. Sensorial fibers were affected more than motor fibers and the condition was more pronounced in the lower extremities. Conclusion: The electrophysiological data were statistically different between injured and healthy extremities (P < 0.005). Our data revealed that nerve conduction studies have an important value in predicting diabetic foot ulcers and even showed that development of ulceration could be prevented in clinically and neurophysiologically documented diabetic neuropathy.