title: The football: an intuitive dressing for offloading neuropathic plantar forefoot ulcerations.
abstract: A reproducible, affordable, efficacious and safe modality for offloading neuropathic plantar foot ulcerations was previously presented in a pilot study. A follow-up retrospective multicentre analysis of the football dressing is now presented. Wound healing rates are compared with published data on the total contact cast (TCC) and instant total contact cast (iTCC). Overall wound healing rates for University of Texas Health Science Center class 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 2A, 2B, 2C and 3B plantar forefoot ulcerations is 2.91 weeks with a 95% confidence interval of 2.36-3.47 weeks for complete wound epithelialisation. The cost associated with this dressing technique is a fraction of that associated with the TCC and iTCC. The ease of application coupled with reliable healing rates and affordable materials makes the football dressing a worthy partner against the sequelae of plantar forefoot ulcerations.
authors.affiliation: Memorial Hospital and Healthcare Center, The Wound Care Center St Mary's Healthcare Center, Diabetic Foot Clinic, Jasper, IN 47546, USA. pvppc@fullnet.com
authors.forename: Andrew J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Rader
authors.forename: Timothy P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Barry
mesh_terms: D003646:Debridement; D017719:Diabetic Foot / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005545:Forefoot, Human; D006801:Humans; D009779:Occlusive Dressings; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014945:Wound Healing