A promising method for reducing the incidence of diabetic foot ulcers: Regulating foot temperature during walking

Abstract

Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) pose a significant challenge in the medical field, particularly with the rising prevalence of diabetes. Consequently, there’s a growing emphasis on devising effective prevention strategies to combat the high recurrence rate of these ulcers. Daily walking, while essential for maintaining a normal lifestyle and social interaction is also the primary source of external mechanical stress applied to the foot. Preserving the integrity of foot tissues during daily walking is critical for preventing foot ulcers. An increase in foot tissue temperature, a significant environmental factor induced by walking, can diminish the foot tissue’s resistance to external mechanical stimuli by affecting tissue metabolism and biomechanical properties (tensile and compressive properties) during walking. This could be a key factor contributing to the high recurrence rate of foot ulcers, despite the advancement in clinical unloading protection technology. We propose a hypothesis that managing foot temperature and preventing a continuous temperature rise caused by walking could help protect the integrity of diabetic foot tissue. Long-term adherence to this approach could potentially reduce the incidence of DFUs. A clinical randomized controlled trial has been designed to evaluate this hypothesis from the aspects of tissue metabolism and biomechanical properties. This study aims to offer a novel method for protecting against DFUs and guide the design of foot aids.