Musculoskeletal Manifestations of Diabetes Mellitus – an update

Diabetes mellitus is an increasingly prevalent condition with an estimated 1.3 billion people projected to be affected by 2050 and can reduce life expectancy by up to 20 years. Musculoskeletal complications are present in more than half of patients with diabetes and lead to significant morbidity and disability. Diabetes increases chronic inflammation, reduces anabolism and compromises blood supply to bones, muscles and joints. This can cause fibrosis of tendons and joints, impaired quality of bone and muscle production and in some instances local joint destruction. The risk is further increased in patients with overlapping with metabolic syndrome. Musculoskeletal complications promote a sedentary lifestyle and worsen the trajectory of diabetes management. Here, we provide an update on the musculoskeletal manifestations of diabetes and their treatments since our review in 2015.