Economic value of podiatry service in limb salvage alliance.

Objective/background: Over the past decade, multidisciplinary "toe and flow" programs have gained great popularity, with proven benefits in limb salvage. Many vascular surgeons have incorporated podiatrists into their practices. The viability of this practice model requires close partnership, hospital support, and financial sustainability.

Plantar Fat Grafting and Tendon Balancing for the Diabetic Foot Ulcer in Remission.

We report on the use of free fat grafting as a means of redistributing normal and shear stress after healing of plantar diabetic foot wounds. Although fat augmentation (lipofilling) has been described previously as an approach to supplement defects and prevent atrophy, including use as an adjunct to wound healing and to mitigate pain in the foot, we are unaware of any reports in the medical literature that have described its use in the high-risk diabetic foot in remission. An active 37-year-old man with type 2 diabetes and neuropathy presented with gangrene of his fifth ray, which was amputated.

Split-thickness skin grafting the high-risk diabetic foot.

Objective: The application of split-thickness skin grafts (STSGs) to chronic extremity wounds has often been considered undesirable because of the perceived high incidence of failure, especially in neuropathic patients with plantar diabetic foot wounds. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of STSG placement in patients with chronic lower extremity wounds.

Methods: We abstracted data from consecutive patients at our institution from January 2007 through April 2013 who underwent STSG placement by vascular and podiatric surgeons for chronic wounds of the lower limb and foot.

Utilization of advanced modalities in the management of diabetic Charcot neuroarthropathy.

Technological advances have allowed reconstructive foot and ankle surgeons greater opportunity to provide significant limb salvage options to those patients who present with significant lower extremity deformity due to diabetic Charcot neuroarthropathy. Paradigms that promote the utilization of these advanced modalities have demonstrated significant improved limb salvage outcomes in this challenging patient population and have consequently improved the quality of life for patients. The purpose of this review is to discuss current concepts in Charcot reconstruction.