The Effect of Diabetic Neuropathy on the Frequency of Joint Replacement in the Rio Grande Valley

Background Research has suggested that bone health may be impaired in patients with diabetic neuropathy, with a potential increased risk of fracture. Here, we sought to evaluate the frequency of joint replacements in individuals with and without DN. Our work may allow for prophylaxis to prevent further deterioration in bone health and reduce the necessity of surgical procedures. Methods We conducted a retrospective chart review, from 2019 through 2023, using the UTHealth Rio Grande Valley electronic medical records system. We evaluated odds ratios of fracture history in patients with DN, other diabetic complications, or diabetes (n=10,416). Multiple confounders were considered from patient characteristics, including age, sex, ethnicity, and county of residence. Statistical tests were performed with a significance level of 0.05 to further evaluate our data. Results We observed that there was no significant difference in the distribution of joint replacement across patients with DN, other diabetic complications, or diabetes. Ethnicity and sex were found to not significantly affect the odds of joint replacement. However, older individuals were significantly more likely to have joint replacement than younger individuals (p=0.0004). Conclusion Our results suggest that joint replacement frequency was not increased in diabetic populations in the Rio Grande Valley. Thus, we suggest that interventions to promote bone health should not be limited to specific diabetic patient groups. Further studies should be conducted to determine the exact mechanisms by which bone is affected by DN to allow for improved knowledge and care of bone health in DN patients.