Lacopi Elisabetta, Coppelli Alberto, Giannarelli Rosa, Teobaldi Ilaria, Venturi Martina, Lamola Giuseppe, Martelli Dario, Chisari Carmelo, Piaggesi Alberto

1. Elisabetta Iacopi, MD
EWMA-GNEAUPP 2014
Madrid 14-16 May 2014
Gait Alterations
and Microvascular
Chronic
Complication in
Type 2 Diabetes
Mellitus
A.Coppelli, R.Giannarelli, I.Teobaldi,
M.Venturi, G.Lamola, D.Martelli,
C.Chisari, A.Piaggesi
Diabetic Foot Section, University of Pisa, Italy

2. We evaluated 36 type 2 diabetic patients attending
our outpatients clinic and divided them into 3 groups
as reported below according to the presence of
diabetic retinopathy and foot ulcerations.
We analyzed biomechanical alterations of lower
limbs with a motion analysis system1. Spatio-temporal
and kinematics data were collected through
photogrammetric infrared cameras while kinetics data
with two forces plates. Data were correlated with
patients’ clinical characteristics.
Characteristics of the
study
To evaluate the characteristics of gait alterations in
type 2 diabetic patients and correlate them with the
presence and severity of microvascular chronic
complications.
AIM
OF
THE
STUDY
PATIENTS
AND
METHODS
1BTS Elite Clinic, BTS Bioengineering, Milan, Italy

3. n
Characteristics of the
patients
CLINICAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE GENERAL
POPULATION
Patients (n) 36
Male/Female (n) 27/9
Age (yr) 63 ± 10
Duration of diabetes (yr) 12 ± 11
HbA1c (%) 8.1 ± 0.9
BMI (Kg/m2) 29.2 ± 5.6
Group 1 Group 2 Group 3
Diabetic Neuropathy No Yes Yes
Foot ulceration No No Yes
CHARACTERSTICS
OF
THE
GROUPS

4. Results
mm
STEP
WIDTH
RANGE
OF
MOTION
°
°
p<0.02
p<0.02
p<0.05
A significantly positive correlation was demonstrated
between the presence and severity of diabetic
retinopathy, previously assessed in the same patients with
fundus retinoscopy, and step width (p<0.02, r=0.6),
ankle range of motion (p<0.02, r=0.6) and foot range of
motion (p<0.05, r=0.65).
CORRELATION
WITH
DIABETIC
RETINOPATHY

5. Thanks for attention
Conclusions
ü Our study confirms biomechanical
alterations previously described in type 2
diabetic patients.
ü We demonstrated a positive correlation
between these biomechanical alterations
with the presence and severity of diabetic
neuropathy and diabetic retinopathy and
with the prevalence of foot ulcerations.