[Diabetic foot osteomyelitis: is conservative treatment possible?].

Introduction: The aim of the present study is to determine the proportion of foot ulcers, complicated by osteomyelitis in diabetic patients, that heal without amputation. Furthermore, an attempt is made to analyze the main clinical and microbiological characteristics of episodes, and to identify potential predictive factors leading to the failure of conservative treatment.

Methods: A prospective observational study was carried out between 2007 and 2009 on diabetic patients with a foot lesion and attending a diabetic foot clinic.