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Diabetic foot ulcer is a breakdown of the skin and sometimes deeper tissues of the foot that leads to sore formation. It is thought to occur due to abnormal pressure or mechanical stress chronically applied to the foot, usually with concomitant predisposing conditions such as peripheral sensory neuropathy, peripheral motor neuropathy, autonomic neuropathy or peripheral arterial disease. [1]
Diabetic foot infection is any infection of the foot in a diabetic person. [2] The most frequent cause of hospitalization for diabetic patients is due to foot infections. [ 3 ] Symptoms may include pus from a wound, redness, swelling, pain, warmth, tachycardia , or tachypnea. [ 4 ]
Diabetic foot conditions can be acute or chronic complications of diabetes. [1] Presence of several characteristic diabetic foot pathologies such as infection, diabetic foot ulcer and neuropathic osteoarthropathy is called diabetic foot syndrome. The resulting bone deformity is known as Charcot foot.
Although counterintuitive, pain is present in many cases despite the neuropathy. Some sort of trauma or microtrauma is thought to initiate the cycle but often patients will not remember because of numbness. Misdiagnosis is common. [1] The goal of treatment is to avoid ulceration, create joint stability, and to maintain a plantigrade foot. [1]
Any part of the foot can be affected by diseases, with symptoms ranging from mild aches to more serious pain hindering one's ability to walk or bear weight. Most minor cases of foot pain can be responded to by home care treatments. However, when severe pain is present, medical attention is required as it is a disabling condition.
The female:male ratio is 1.3:1. Other diabetic complications such as nephropathy, neuropathy, retinopathy and hypertension are usually present. Its major symptom is the acute onset muscle pain, usually in the thigh, in the absence of trauma. Signs include exquisite muscle tenderness and swelling.
The normal findings of flat foot versus children's age estimate 45% of pre-school children, and 15% of older children (average age 10 years) have flat feet. Few flexible flat feet have been found to be symptomatic, hence only painful flat feet should be diagnosed and treated.
Total contact casting (TCC) is a specially designed cast designed to take weight off of the foot (off-loading) in patients with diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs). Reducing pressure on the wound by taking weight off the foot has proven to be very effective in DFU treatment.