Charcot Foot Offloading in Stage 0 Is Associated With Shorter Total Contact Cast Treatment and Lower Risk of Recurrence and Reconstructive Surgery: A Pilot Study.

Objective: Charcot foot (CF) requires prolonged offloading of the affected foot to decrease the risk of deformity. The earliest phase in active CF (stage 0) is characterized by inflammatory signs without established fractures or skeletal deformity. We investigated whether offloading in stage 0 influences duration of total contact casting (TCC), risk of recurrence, and future need for surgery.