Damage to the nerves of a joint, which may eventually lead to joint damage that interferes with normal mobility. The nerve damage may produce sensations of tingling, numbness, burning, or pain in the joint. Because of loss of sensation, there is no signal to warn the body that activities might be damaging the joint. As a result, a neuropathic joint is easily damaged, and bony destruction can rapidly occur. Inherited disorders, nutritional deficiencies, alcoholism, syphilis, and diabetes mellitus may be associated with nerve damage.
A joint affected by inflammation and multiple unnoticed injuries due to a lack of feeling stemming from neuropathy (nerve damage from illness) is termed a neuropathic joint. Such joints can emerge in various conditions, including diabetes mellitus and untreated syphilis.
When the ability to feel pain diminishes, abnormal pressures on a joint don’t trigger the surrounding muscles’ protective reflexive tightening. This lack of protective response can result in excessive motion, causing harm inside and around the joint. Characteristics of a neuropathic joint include osteoarthritis, inflammation, and distortion.
To limit the joint’s irregular movement, an orthopedic brace or a caliper splint might be required. In some cases, arthrodesis, a surgical procedure to join a joint, is carried out. The nerve damage, however, cannot be reversed.