Charcot Neuroarthropathy is Associated with Higher Rates of Phantom Limb after Major Amputation

CATEGORY: Diabetes; Trauma INTRODUCTION/PURPOSE: Phantom limb is a complication associated with lower extremity amputation. However, its rate in patients with Charcot Neuroarthropathy that undergo major amputation is not well-described. Moreover, there is limited research exploring outcomes of patients with Charcot Neuroarthropathy that require amputation. Therefore, the purpose of this cohort study was to determine if patients with Charcot Neuroarthropathy that undergo major amputation had an increased rate of phantom limb compared to patients that underwent amputation without a coexisting diagnosis of Charcot. METHODS: Using ICD and CPT codes, an online research database was used to identify patients that underwent a major lower extremity amputation. For the purposes of our study, we defined a major amputation as a below-knee amputation (BKA). Patients were then separated into two groups. Group A consisted of patients that underwent BKA and also had a coded diagnosis of Charcot Neuroarthropathy. Group B consisted of patients that underwent BKA and lacked a diagnosis of Charcot. Statistical analysis was then run to determine the relative risk of developing phantom limb in patients that underwent BKA with a diagnosis of Charcot Neuroarthropathy compared to those without the diagnosis. Demographic data of the cohort was also collected. RESULTS: From 2012-2022, a total of 11,374 patients underwent a BKA. Of these patients, 804 also had a diagnosis of Charcot Neuroarthropathy (Group A) and 10,570 did not (Group B). The rate of phantom limb in Charcot patients was 23.1% (186/804). The rate of phantom limb in patients without Charcot Foot was 19.5% (2063/10570). Patients with Charcot Neuroarthropathy that underwent a BKA had an increased risk of developing phantom limb compared to patients that underwent a BKA without Charcot (RR: 1.2, 95% CI: 1.039-1.352). CONCLUSION: Phantom limb is a serious complication following major amputation. Our results indicate that patients with a coexisting diagnosis of Charcot Neuroarthropathy that go on to require BKA may have an increased risk of developing phantom limb. Furthermore, our study adds to the limited research on outcomes of patients with Charcot Neuroarthropathy.