Bone Abstracts

Objective: To investigate the characteristics and related factors of vascular calcification (VC) in lower limbs of patients with type 2 diabetes.

Methods: 204 patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes had suffered from the symptoms on lower limb and took ABI and CTA test. We collected their basic information and also study their biochemical index. VC was defined when the ABI >1.3 of posterior tibial artery and dorsalis pedis artery, while we scored VC on CT scanning as follows: score 0, no calcification; score 1, the grey value is >130 HU and the area is >1 mm². Each vessel was divided into eight parts on CTA imaging. And we analysis the data.

Results: 1) Both sides of lower limb have VC with different degrees. The percentage in left and right side of the lower limbs were 92.7, 89.3, 73.6, 75.3, 66.9, 66.3, 46.1, 49.4, 61.2, 62.4, 60.7, 59, 43.3, 44.4, 39.9, 39.9% respectively (P>0.05).

ii) Calcification score has positive correlation with age, diabetes duration, creatinine, urine trace albumin, ACR and GFR (ρ=0.558, 0.301, 0.242, 0.282, 0.246, 0.233) (P<0.01). And it has negative correlated with triglycerides and Ca × P product (ρ=−0.186, −0.155) (P<0.05).

iii) With hypertension, people would got a higher VC score (HBP 10(5, 14) vs NHBP 6 (1, 11)) (P<0.01).

iv) VC cases of left and right posterior tibial artery and dorsalis pedis artery were 19, 13, 6, 7 respectively by Doppler, while the cases were 108, 105, 71 and 105 through CT. It is different for VC by ABI and CT (χ² =67.71, 76.95, 56.33, 53.89) (P<0.01).

Conclusion: i) It is easier to get VC for people with diabetes in lower limb symptoms. It is mainly distributed in the artery above knee. People with hypertension will increase the risk of calcification and get a poor prognosis.

ii) Age, duration and ACR are independent risk factors for VC.

iii) CT angiography has higher accuracy for the diagnosis of VC than Doppler.