The association between limitation of finger joint mobility (LJM) and diabetic retinopathy demonstrable by fluorescein angiography was examined in 311 subjects aged 6-27 years. The relationship of these two complications was highly significant (P less than 0.0001). This was not the result of the effect of diabetes duration on both complications; interaction of LJM, retinopathy, and duration was not significant (P greater than 0.3). The presence of LJM was predictive of associated retinopathy at the level of clinical recognition (more than ten microaneurysms); 43% of those with LJM and duration beyond 4 years had retinopathy while only 15% of this duration group without LJM had clinical retinopathy.