Selective resection of the bone with preservation of soft tissues (“empty toe technique”) combined with negative pressure wound therapy for treatment of osteomyelitis of the great toe - a case report

Diabetic foot ulceration (DFU) is a serious complication of diabetes mellitus, and one that is difficult to treat. In many cases of DFU, chronic osteomyelitis occurs in the foot. The present paper describes the course of treatment for chronic osteomyelitis of the great toe with metatarsophalangeal arthritis using selective resection of the bone preserving the soft tissues (the “empty toe technique”). Following the procedure, to promote surgical wound healing, negative pressure wound therapy was administered for 7 days, with a constant pressure of –120 mmHg. The presented method was found to be effective in treating osteomyelitis in a patient with DFU, partially preserving the function and completely preserving the shape of the treated toe.