Today, I’d like to discuss an exciting new manuscript from our Dutch colleagues, titled “New biomechanical models for cumulative plantar tissue stress assessment in people with diabetes at high risk of foot ulceration”[1]. This work, which is set to appear in the Journal of Biomechanics, is a significant contribution to our understanding of foot ulceration in people with diabetes.
The authors of this study are our colleagues Chantal M. Hulshof, Jaap J. van Netten, Caroline M. Oosterhof, Jonne van der Poel, Mirjam Pijnappels, and Sicco A. Bus. They are affiliated with the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine and the Department of Human Movement Sciences at Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, and Amsterdam Movement Sciences[1].
The study focuses on the development of new biomechanical models for assessing cumulative plantar tissue stress (CPTS) in people with diabetes who are at high risk of foot ulceration. The authors argue that understanding stress-related foot ulceration in diabetes requires accurate and feasible quantification of CPTS[1].
The team developed multiple CPTS models with varying complexity and investigated their agreement with the most comprehensive reference model available. They assessed 52 participants with diabetes and high foot ulcer risk for barefoot and in-shoe plantar pressures during overground walking at different speeds, standing, sit-to-stand transitions, and stair walking[1].
The results showed that the calculated CPTS was lower for the four CPTS-models compared to the reference model. However, CPTS in models 3 and 4 best agreed with the reference model, where model 3 required fewer parameters, i.e., pressure-time integrals of each walking stride and standing period while barefoot and shod[1].
This study is another step forward in our understanding of foot ulceration in people with diabetes. The new models developed by Hulshof et al. provide a more accurate and feasible method for assessing CPTS, which could lead to improved prevention and treatment strategies for this common and serious complication of diabetes[1].
In conclusion, this work by Hulshof et al. represents a significant advancement in the field of diabetic foot care. Their innovative approach to assessing CPTS could have far-reaching implications for the prevention and treatment of foot ulceration in people with diabetes. I look forward to seeing how this research progresses and is applied in clinical practice[1].
Citations:
[1] Manuscript – J Biomech
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