Clinical Rehabilitation 1–8 © The Author(s) 2014 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav DOI: 10.1177/0269215514556298 cre.sagepub.com CLINICAL REHABILITATION Effect of surgical decompression of nerves in the lower extremity in patients with painful diabetic polyneuropathy on stability: A randomized controlled trial Joanne FM Macaré van Maurik 1 , Britt ter Horst 1 , Mireille van Hal 1 , Moshe Kon 1 and Edgar JG Peters 2 Abstract Objective: To investigate the effect of decompression of nerves in the lower extremity in patients with painful diabetic polyneuropathy on static balance using a sensitive pressure mat system. Design: Non-blinded randomized controlled trial. Setting: Single center study performed at the University Medical Center Utrecht between 2010-2013. Subjects: Patients with painful diabetic polyneuropathy assessed with the Diabetic Neuropathy Symptom score and Diabetic Neuropathy Examination between 18-90 years. Exclusion criteria were: physical problems leading to instability, BMI>35 kg/m2, ankle fractures in history, amputations proximal to the tarsometatarsal joints, active foot ulcer(s), severe occlusive peripheral vascular diseases. Intervention: Unilateral surgical nerve decompression at four sites in the lower extremity, the contralateral limb was used as control (within-patient comparison), with one year follow-up. Main measures: Preoperatively and 6 and 12 months postoperatively, weight bearing and five variables of sway of the center of pressure were measured with a pressure mat with eyes open and eyes closed. T-test was used for evaluation of postoperative results. Results: Thirty-nine Patients met inclusion criteria and were enrolled for stability testing. Postoperatively no significant differences for sway variables and weight bearing were seen compared to preoperatively measurements. Conclusions: There is no evidence that surgical decompression of nerves of the lower extremity influences stability within one year after surgery in patients with painful diabetic polyneuropathy. Keywords Diabetic polyneuropathy, diabetes mellitus, postural balance, nerve decompression, stability, surgery Received: 24 March 2014; accepted: 29 September 2014 1 Department of Plastic Surgery, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands 2 Department of Medicine, VU university Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands 556298CRE 0 0 10.1177/0269215514556298Clinical RehabilitationMacaré van Maurik et al. research-article 2014 Article Corresponding author: Joanne FM Macaré van Maurik, Department of Plastic Surgery, University Medical Center Utrecht, G.04.122, Heidelberglaan 100, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands. Email: j.f.m.macare@umcutrecht.nl at University Library Utrecht on April 7, 2015 cre.sagepub.com Downloaded from