NEUROGENIC ARTHROPATHY

also called Charcot's joint (after Jean-Martin Charcot, a 19th-century French neurologist), massive destruction of a stress-bearing joint, with development of large flanges and spurs of new bone at the sides of the joint. The condition eventually causes inability to use the joint but is accompanied by little or no sensation of pain or discomfort. The disorder accompanies damage to the nervous system in which sensory knowledge of joint position and strength is lost; the affected individual is not aware of overuse or injury so that destructive changes can develop quickly. The most common cause of Charcot's joint is tabes dorsalis, a form of nervous system disease that occurs in untreated tertiary venereal syphilis; the knee, hip, ankle, and lower back are most often affected. Neurogenic arthropathy of the foot occurs as a complication of diabetes. Other diseases that destroy the sense of joint position or of pain may also cause Charcot's joint, such as leprosy, spinal cord injury, or pernicious anemia. Treatment involves complete protection of the joint from further stress or injury, commonly by the use of a brace.