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The Effect of Callus Removal on Dynamic Plantar Foot Pressures in Diabetic Patients
Author(s) -
Young M.J.,
Cavanagh P.R.,
Thomas G.,
Johnson M.M.,
Murray H.,
Boulton A.J.M.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
diabetic medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.474
H-Index - 145
eISSN - 1464-5491
pISSN - 0742-3071
DOI - 10.1111/j.1464-5491.1992.tb01714.x
Subject(s) - forefoot , medicine , heel , diabetic foot , foot (prosody) , callus , plantar pressure , diabetes mellitus , surgery , anatomy , complication , endocrinology , horticulture , system of measurement , linguistics , philosophy , physics , astronomy , biology
Clinical observation suggests that neuropathic foot ulceration frequently occurs beneath plantar callosities and in areas of high dynamic shear and vertical stress underneath the foot during walking. Seventeen diabetic patients had dynamic foot pressure measurements made before and after the removal of a total of 43 forefoot plantar callosities. Peak pressures (mean ± SE) in the treated areas were reduced by 26% from 14.2 ± 1.0 to 10.3 ± 0.9 kg cm −2 ( p < 0.001), with reductions at 37 of the 43 sites and in all patients. Mean heel pressures were not significantly different (5.0 ± 0.6 vs 4.9 ± 0.6 kg cm −2 ). These results suggest that callus may act as a foreign body elevating plantar pressures and that a significant reduction in pressure is achieved by local chiropody treatment.