Sonographic Assessment of the Effects of Hyperglycemia on Plantar Aponeurosis in Type-2 Diabetic Patients.

In adults, investigations on effects of aliabetes on the skin of the upper and lower limbs have been carried out using ultrasound and pasch biopsies But plantar aponeuroses thickness in isolation has not beenexamined in this locality. The aim of this study was t sonographically the effects of hyperglycemia on the plantar aponeurosis in type 2 diabetic patients. A total of 400 subjects (2000 healthy non diabetic and 2180 diabetic adult Nigerians) wire studied. The non diabetic subjects consisted of 15 mutt (ag range 18 71, mean agy SD 42.40±6.72) and 95 women hage τωτο -21 69 ywars, mean age SD 37.714.23). Diabetic soljects were made up of III. men jagi sange 33 74 yeane mean age + 50 = 62.33 ± 921) and 89 women (age range 39 69 years, mean age +50= 58.44±6.12). A high resolution dedicated small parts ultrasound machine (with a 10 MHz transducer) was used to assess the plantar aponeurosis. The fasting blood sugar levels (FSL) of all patients and the Haemoglobin (HbAk) were necorded against the plantar aponeurosis thickness. The data wasanahzed using SPSS (version 14.0 The results show that the plantar apotururosis if the diabetics with hyperglycemia was significantly thicker than that of diabetics with normal hood sugar level and control grinup ip 0:01). Plantar aponeurosis thickness (PAT) was directly related to fasting blood sugar level. Male gender and Body mass index (BMI) were also directly related to plantar aponeurosis thickness, Hyperglycemia acelerates the accumilation of glycation-end products resulting in the thickening of the plantar aponeurosis in type 2 diabetic patients