Orthoplastic Approach for Surgical Treatment of Diabetic Foot Ulcers

Abstract

Diabetic foot ulcers remain a challenge to practitioners and costly to health care systems. They range from simple to complex and many treatment options are available. By following standard wound care protocols to ensure adequate blood supply, infection control, debridement, wound management, and offloading many diabetic foot ulcers heal in a timely fashion. For those that do not, an underlying foot and ankle musculoskeletal abnormality must be suspected and treated concomitantly with soft tissue treatment. This article presents a systematic orthoplastics approach for surgical treatment of diabetic foot ulcers using the soft tissue reconstructive ladder and the musculoskeletal reconstructive matrix.

Keywords: Diabetic ulcers; Foot and ankle deformity; Limb salvage; Orthoplastics; Soft tissue flaps.