title: The risk of foot ulceration in diabetic patients with high foot pressure: a prospective study.
abstract: Foot ulceration results in substantial morbidity amongst diabetic patients. We have studied prospectively the relationship between high foot pressures and foot ulceration using an optical pedobarograph. A series of 86 diabetic patients, mean age 53.3 (range 17-77) years, mean duration of diabetes 17.1 (range 1-36) years, were followed-up for a mean period of 30 (range 15-34) months. Clinical neuropathy was present in 58 (67%) patients at baseline examination. Mean peak foot pressure was higher at the follow-up compared to baseline (13.5 kg.cm-2 +/- 7.1 SD vs 11.2 +/- 5.4, p less than 0.001) with abnormally high foot pressures (greater than 12.3) being present in 55 patients at follow-up and 43 at the baseline visit (p = NS). Plantar foot ulcers developed in 21 feet of 15 patients (17%), all of whom had abnormally high pressures at baseline; neuropathy was present in 14 patients at baseline. Non-plantar ulcers occurred in 8 (9%) patients. Thus, plantar ulceration occurred in 35% of diabetic patients with high foot pressures but in none of those with normal pressures. We have shown for the first time in a prospective study that high plantar foot pressures in diabetic patients are strongly predictive of subsequent plantar ulceration, especially in the presence of neuropathy.
authors.affiliation: Diabetes Centre, Manchester Royal Infirmary, UK.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Veves
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Murray
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Boulton
mesh_terms: D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003929:Diabetic Neuropathies / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005528:Foot; D016523:Foot Ulcer / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011312:Pressure; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012018:Reflex; D012307:Risk Factors; D012883:Skin Ulcer / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*