Anserine bursitis and non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationship between non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), knee pain, and anserine bursitis, and its relation to sex, age, or body mass index (BMI).

METHODS: Ninety-four consecutive patients with NIDDM, 66 women and 28 men, and 57 nondiabetic patients, 36 women and 22 men, were examined at an outpatient clinic of a tertiary care hospital. Date of onset in patients with NIDDM was noted, and serum was analyzed for either hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C) or glycosylated hemoglobin (GHb) in 69 of these patients. Anserine bursitis was diagnosed if knee pain and tenderness at the bursal site were found on examination.

RESULTS: On examination 34 (36%) patients with NIDDM were found to have anserine bursitis. Of these, 31 (91%) were women and 3 (9%) were men (p < 0.05). Age, BMI, duration of diabetes, HbA1C or GHb, and age of onset of diabetes were found not to differ significantly between patients with and those without anserine bursitis.

CONCLUSION: A relationship exists between NIDDM, knee pain, and anserine bursitis unrelated to age, BMI, duration and control of diabetes, and age at the diagnosis of diabetes.