Background: Clinical observation suggests that Charcot arthropathy of the foot and ankle has major negative consequences on the quality of life of neuropathic patients, particularly those with diabetes. We hypothesized that the quality of life in patients with Charcot arthropathy may be aggravated by Aboriginal ethnicity and rural residence because of limited access to timely specialty healthcare.
Methods: Sixty patients with Charcot arthropathy were interviewed with the Short Form 36 (SF-36) Health Survey.
Results: Mean Physical Component Summary (PCS) score was 31+/-8 points and mean Mental Component Summary (MCS) score was 45+/-10 points. Mean PCS and MCS scores were not affected by gender, ethnicity, residence, or Charcot stage. Mean PCS score was significantly lower in non-employed (unemployed or retired) than employed patients and in patients who did not use alcohol than those who used alcohol; MCS score was not affected by employment status or alcohol use.
Conclusions: Charcot arthropathy has a major negative effect on quality of life. The SF-36 survey was sensitive to the physical effects, but not to mental effects, of Charcot arthropathy.