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Foot Pressure Abnormalities in the Diabetic Foot

  • Chapter
The Diabetic Foot

Part of the book series: Contemporary Diabetes ((CDI))

Summary

Several methods of measuring and reducing foot pressures including their advantages and limitations have been discussed. Extra-depth footwear, jogging shoes, hosiery, insoles, and orthoses have been shown to decrease plantar foot pressures. Furthermore, these devices can prevent the occurrence and recurrence of foot ulceration. However, when using orthoses or other inserts care must be taken not to increase pressures over another region of the foot.

In the last two decades, the development of intricate computerized systems has revolutionized diabetic foot pressure measurements and made their application possible for daily clinical practice. Foot pressure measurements obtained from out-of-shoe and inshoe methods may have far-reaching consequences for both research and clinical applications. Moreover, these systems can potentially identify at-risk patients and provide a basis for the implementation of either footwear modifications or surgical intervention. Foot pressure measurement systems are still being developed. Currently, research is in the initial phase of developing methods of measuring in-shoe shear forces. Piezoelectric transducers are currently being evaluated which may be able to measure both vertical and shear forces (68). In the future, computer systems will hopefully become more widely available and may be employed routinely for diabetic foot management and a variety of foot conditions.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Harvard Medical School, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA

    Thomas E. Lyons DPM (Clinical Instructor in Surgery)

  2. Division of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA

    Barry I. Rosenblum DPM

  3. Microcirculation Lab and Joslin-Beth, Israel Deaconess Foot Center, Boston, MA

    Aristidis Veves MD, DSc (Research Director)

  4. Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA

    Aristidis Veves MD, DSc (Research Director)

Authors
  1. Thomas E. Lyons DPM
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  2. Barry I. Rosenblum DPM
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  3. Aristidis Veves MD, DSc
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA

    Aristidis Veves MD, DSc , John M. Giurini DPM  & Frank W. Logerfo MD ,  & 

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© 2006 Humana Press Inc., Totowa, NJ

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Lyons, T.E., Rosenblum, B.I., Veves, A. (2006). Foot Pressure Abnormalities in the Diabetic Foot. In: Veves, A., Giurini, J.M., Logerfo, F.W. (eds) The Diabetic Foot. Contemporary Diabetes. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-075-1_9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-075-1_9

  • Publisher Name: Humana Press

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-58829-610-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-59745-075-1

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