Comparing a non-removable total contact cast with a non-removable softcast in diabetic foot ulcers: A retrospective study of a prospective database.

Objective: Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are mostly cured by an off-loading cast. Healing ratios of a non-removable Total Contact Softcast (TCS) were compared to a conventional Total Contact Cast (TCC), the latter reporting negative effects on lifestyle and transportation.

Methods: Analysis of prospectively collected data for 2010-2017.

Improved outcomes in patients with diabetic foot ulcers despite of differences in baseline characteristics.

The incidence of diabetes is increasing worldwide with concomitant raising number of patients with diabetic foot disease. Diabetic foot disease treatment has received more attention in the past decades, culminating in the creation of multidisciplinary outpatient clinics, but at the same time, complexity of patients seems to have increased. The aim of this article is to study differences in patient characteristics and outcomes (ulcer healing and ulcer-free survival days) in patients with a diabetic foot ulcer in two prospective cohorts with 15 years in between.

The Association between Foot and Ulcer Microcirculation Measured with Laser Speckle Contrast Imaging and Healing of Diabetic Foot Ulcers.

Diagnosis of peripheral artery disease in people with diabetes and a foot ulcer using current non-invasive blood pressure measurements is challenging. Laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI) is a promising non-invasive technique to measure cutaneous microcirculation. This study investigated the association between microcirculation (measured with both LSCI and non-invasive blood pressure measurement) and healing of diabetic foot ulcers 12 and 26 weeks after measurement.

Effectiveness of at-home skin temperature monitoring in reducing the incidence of foot ulcer recurrence in people with diabetes: a multicenter randomized controlled trial (DIATEMP).

Introduction: The skin of people with diabetic foot disease is thought to heat up from ambulatory activity before it breaks down into ulceration. This allows for early recognition of imminent ulcers. We assessed whether at-home monitoring of plantar foot skin temperature can help prevent ulcer recurrence in diabetes.

Development of a prediction model for foot ulcer recurrence in people with diabetes using easy-to-obtain clinical variables.

Introduction: We aimed to develop a prediction model for foot ulcer recurrence in people with diabetes using easy-to-obtain clinical variables and to validate its predictive performance in order to help risk assessment in this high-risk group.

Research Design And Methods: We used data from a prospective analysis of 304 people with foot ulcer history who had 18-month follow-up for ulcer outcome. Demographic, disease-related and organization-of-care variables were included as potential predictors.

Surgical Treatment of Diabetic Foot Ulcers Complicated by Osteomyelitis with Gentamicin-Loaded Calcium Sulphate-Hydroxyapatite Biocomposite.

Diabetic foot ulcers, complicated by osteomyelitis, can be treated by surgical resection, dead space filling with gentamicin-loaded calcium sulphate-hydroxyapatite (CaS-HA) biocomposite, and closure of soft tissues and skin. To assess the feasibility of this treatment regimen, we conducted a multicenter retrospective cohort study of patients after failed conventional treatments. From 13 hospitals we included 64 patients with forefoot ( = 41 (64%)), midfoot ( = 14 (22%)), or hindfoot ( = 9 (14%)) ulcers complicated by osteomyelitis.

Clinical profiles of diabetic foot ulcer patients undergoing major limb amputation at a tertiary care center in North-eastern Tanzania.

Background: Diabetic foot ulcers complications are the major cause of non-traumatic major limb amputation. We aimed at assessing the clinical profiles of diabetic foot ulcer patients undergoing major limb amputation in the Surgical Department at Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre (KCMC), a tertiary care hospital in North-eastern Tanzania.

Methods: A cross-sectional hospital-based study was conducted from September 2018 through March 2019.

Semi-Automatic Tracking of Laser Speckle Contrast Images of Microcirculation in Diabetic Foot Ulcers.

Foot ulcers are a severe complication of diabetes mellitus. Assessment of the vascular status of diabetic foot ulcers with Laser Speckle Contrast Imaging (LSCI) is a promising approach for diagnosis and prognosis. However, manual assessment during analysis of LSCI limits clinical applicability.

Infrared thermography for monitoring severity and treatment of diabetic foot infections.

Monitoring of diabetic foot infections is largely based on clinical assessment, which is limited by moderate reliability. We conducted a prospective study to explore monitoring of thermal asymmetry (difference between mean plantar temperature of the affected and unaffected foot) for the assessment of severity of diabetic foot infections. In patients with moderate or severe diabetic foot infections (International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot infection-grades 3 or 4) we measured thermal asymmetry with an advanced infrared thermography setup during the first 4-5 days of in-hospital treatment, in addition to clinical assessments and tests of serum inflammatory markers (white blood cell counts and C-reactive protein levels).

Ulcer-free survival days and ulcer healing in patients with diabetic foot ulcers: A prospective cohort study.

Healing rates may not give a complete indication of the effectiveness and management of diabetic foot ulcers because of high recurrence rates. The most important outcome for patients is remaining ulcer-free; however, this has hardly been investigated. The aim of our study was to prospectively investigate ulcer-free survival days and ulcer healing in patients with diabetic foot ulcers.

Infrared 3D Thermography for Inflammation Detection in Diabetic Foot Disease: A Proof of Concept.

Background: Thermal assessment of the plantar surface of the foot using spot thermometers and thermal imaging has been proven effective in diabetic foot ulcer prevention. However, with traditional cameras this is limited to single spots or a two-dimensional (2D) view of the plantar side of foot, where only 50% of the ulcers occur. To improve ulcer detection, the view has to be extended beyond 2D.

The cost-effectiveness and cost-utility of at-home infrared temperature monitoring in reducing the incidence of foot ulcer recurrence in patients with diabetes (DIATEMP): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Home monitoring of foot temperatures in high-risk diabetes patients proves to be a promising approach for early recognition and treatment of pre-signs of ulceration, and thereby ulcer prevention. Despite previous studies demonstrating its efficacy, it is currently not widely applied in (Dutch) health care.

Methods: In a multicenter, outcome-assessor-blinded, randomized controlled trial, 304 patients with diabetes mellitus types I or II, loss of protective sensation based on peripheral neuropathy, and a history of foot ulceration in the preceding 4 years or a diagnosis of Charcot neuro-osteoarthropathy will be included.

Effect of different casting design characteristics on offloading the diabetic foot.

Background: Non-removable knee-high devices, such as a total contact cast (TCC), are recommended for offloading diabetic plantar forefoot ulcers. However, it is insufficiently known how each of the different design characteristics of these devices contribute to offloading the diabetic foot.

Research Question: What is the offloading effect of the different design characteristics that make up a non-removable knee-high cast for people with diabetes and active or previous plantar forefoot ulcers?

Methods: Sixteen persons with diabetes, peripheral neuropathy and a healed or active plantar forefoot ulcer had their plantar pressures measured during walking in a non-removable knee-high device (TCC), in that device made removable (BTCC), in that device made below-ankle (cast shoe), in that cast shoe worn with a different walking sole and in a newly made cast shoe without a custom-moulded foot-device interface.

An exploratory study on differences in cumulative plantar tissue stress between healing and non-healing plantar neuropathic diabetic foot ulcers.

Background: Mechanical stress is important in causing and healing plantar diabetic foot ulcers, but almost always studied as peak pressure only. Measuring cumulative plantar tissue stress combines plantar pressure and ambulatory activity, and better defines the load on ulcers. Our aim was to explore differences in cumulative plantar tissue stress between people with healing and non-healing plantar diabetic foot ulcers.

The efficacy of removable devices to offload and heal neuropathic plantar forefoot ulcers in people with diabetes: a single-blinded multicentre randomised controlled trial.

Non-removable offloading is the 'gold standard' treatment for neuropathic diabetic plantar forefoot ulcers. However, removable offloading is the common 'standard of care'. We compared three removable offloading devices for ulcer healing efficacy.

Diabetic complications do not hamper improvement of health-related quality of life over the course of treatment of diabetic foot ulcers - the Eurodiale study.

Aims: Diabetic complications, and in particular diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs), are associated with low health-related quality of life (HRQoL). We evaluated whether the presence of diabetic complications also influenced the improvement of HRQoL during DFU treatment.

Methods: 1088 patients presenting for DFU treatment at the centers participating in the Eurodiale study were followed prospectively up to one year.

An internal iliac artery aneurysm causing sudden buttock ischemia and nerve root compression.

Acute buttock ischemia can be a consequence of aneurysmatic disease and has a dramatic presentation. This case report describes an otherwise healthy patient with a simultaneous onset of buttock ischemia combined with sciatic nerve compression caused by a small distal internal iliac artery aneurysm. Coiling of the aneurysm prevented thromboembolism recurrence but was only partially successful in reducing the symptoms of nerve compression.

Automatic detection of diabetic foot complications with infrared thermography by asymmetric analysis.

Early identification of diabetic foot complications and their precursors is essential in preventing their devastating consequences, such as foot infection and amputation. Frequent, automatic risk assessment by an intelligent telemedicine system might be feasible and cost effective. Infrared thermography is a promising modality for such a system.

Predictors of lower-extremity amputation in patients with an infected diabetic foot ulcer.

Objective: Infection commonly complicates diabetic foot ulcers and is associated with a poor outcome. In a cohort of individuals with an infected diabetic foot ulcer, we aimed to determine independent predictors of lower-extremity amputation and the predictive value for amputation of the International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot (IWGDF) classification system and to develop a risk score for predicting amputation.

Research Design And Methods: We prospectively studied 575 patients with an infected diabetic foot ulcer presenting to 1 of 14 diabetic foot clinics in 10 European countries.

Diagnostic values for skin temperature assessment to detect diabetes-related foot complications.

Background: Skin temperature assessment is a promising modality for early detection of diabetic foot problems, but its diagnostic value has not been studied. Our aims were to investigate the diagnostic value of different cutoff skin temperature values for detecting diabetes-related foot complications such as ulceration, infection, and Charcot foot and to determine urgency of treatment in case of diagnosed infection or a red-hot swollen foot.

Materials And Methods: The plantar foot surfaces of 54 patients with diabetes visiting the outpatient foot clinic were imaged with an infrared camera.

Statistical analysis of spectral data: a methodology for designing an intelligent monitoring system for the diabetic foot.

Early detection of (pre-)signs of ulceration on a diabetic foot is valuable for clinical practice. Hyperspectral imaging is a promising technique for detection and classification of such (pre-)signs. However, the number of the spectral bands should be limited to avoid overfitting, which is critical for pixel classification with hyperspectral image data.

Health-related quality of life predicts major amputation and death, but not healing, in people with diabetes presenting with foot ulcers: the Eurodiale study.

Objective: Low health-related quality of life (HRQoL) has been consistently reported to be associated with poor prognosis for a variety of health outcomes in various settings. We aimed to evaluate whether HRQoL in patients presenting with new diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) has prognostic significance for ulcer healing, major amputation, and death.

Research Design And Methods: We followed 1,088 patients with new DFUs presenting for treatment at one of the 14 centers in 10 European countries participating in the Eurodiale (European Study Group on Diabetes and the Lower Extremity) study, prospectively until healing (76.

Effect of custom-made footwear on foot ulcer recurrence in diabetes: a multicenter randomized controlled trial.

Objective: Custom-made footwear is the treatment of choice to prevent foot ulcer recurrence in diabetes. This footwear primarily aims to offload plantar regions at high ulcer risk. However, ulcer recurrence rates are high.

Infrared thermal imaging for automated detection of diabetic foot complications.

Background: Although thermal imaging can be a valuable technology in the prevention and management of diabetic foot disease, it is not yet widely used in clinical practice. Technological advancement in infrared imaging increases its application range. The aim was to explore the first steps in the applicability of high-resolution infrared thermal imaging for noninvasive automated detection of signs of diabetic foot disease.