Minireviews
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2015. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Diabetes. Aug 10, 2015; 6(9): 1108-1112
Published online Aug 10, 2015. doi: 10.4239/wjd.v6.i9.1108
Limited joint mobility syndrome in diabetes mellitus: A minireview
Esther G Gerrits, Gijs W Landman, Leonie Nijenhuis-Rosien, Henk J Bilo
Esther G Gerrits, Department of Internal Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Center, 6229 HX Maastricht, The Netherlands
Gijs W Landman, Leonie Nijenhuis-Rosien, Henk J Bilo, Diabetes Centre, Isala, 8025 AB Zwolle, The Netherlands
Gijs W Landman, Department of Internal Medicine, Gelre Hospital, 7334 DZ Apeldoorn, The Netherlands
Leonie Nijenhuis-Rosien, Innofeet Voetencentrum Nijenhuis, 8013 NA Zwolle, The Netherlands
Henk J Bilo, Department of Internal Medicine, Isala, 8025 AB Zwolle, The Netherlands
Author contributions: Gerrits EG designed and wrote the manuscript; Landman GW, Nijenhuis-Rosien L and Bilo HJ contributed equally to the writing of the manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors have no conflicts-of-interest.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Correspondence to: Esther G Gerrits, MD, PhD, Department of Internal Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Center, P. Debyelaan 25, 6229 HX Maastricht, The Netherlands. esther.gerrits@mumc.nl
Telephone: +31-43-3877005 Fax: +31-43-3875006
Received: February 22, 2015
Peer-review started: March 9, 2015
First decision: June 3, 2015
Revised: June 16, 2015
Accepted: July 24, 2015
Article in press: July 27, 2015
Published online: August 10, 2015
Processing time: 173 Days and 0.9 Hours
Abstract

Limited joint mobility syndrome (LJMS) or diabetic cheiroarthropathy is a long term complication of diabetes mellitus. The diagnosis of LJMS is based on clinical features: progression of painless stiffness of hands and fingers, fixed flexion contractures of the small hand and foot joints, impairment of fine motion and impaired grip strength in the hands. As the syndrome progresses, it can also affect other joints. It is important to properly diagnose such a complication as LJMS. Moreover, it is important to diagnose LJMS because it is known that the presence of LJMS is associated with micro- and macrovascular complications of diabetes. Due to the lack of curative treatment options, the suggested method to prevent or decelerate the development of LJMS is improving or maintaining good glycemic control. Daily stretching excercises of joints aim to prevent or delay progression of joint stiffness, may reduce the risk of inadvertent falls and will add to maintain quality of life.

Keywords: Diabetic cheiroarthropathy; Limited joint mobility; Diabetes mellitus; Joint stiffness; Advanced glycation endproducts

Core tip:“Limited joint mobility syndrome in diabetes mellitus: A minireview” is an article about limited joint mobility syndrome in diabetes mellitus that is an underreported complication, associated with micro and macrovascular complications. From a clinical perspective, a good glycemic control and daily exercising are the main and the base of prevention. Treatment options include symptomatic therapies and surgical correction. Medical treatment targeting the formation of glycosylated end products accumulating on collagen and other connective tissues are unsuccessful for this complication. This mini-review analyzes all the aspects of a forgotten complication of diabetes mellitus.