Diabetic foot complications are something that shouldn’t and cannot be ignored. Experts have agreed on how patients should keep a constant vigil and take good care of their feet and any small change should be observed and consulted with the physician. The recent news reports have something that might be the next big step in the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers.
What is the new finding?
Researchers have developed a shoe insole that helps make the healing process more portable for people who develop diabetic foot ulcers. Diabetic ulcers commonly result from high blood sugar damaging nerves, which takes away feeling from the toes or feet. A recent statistic from American Podiatric Medical Association has stated that about 14 to 24 percent of diabetics in the U.S.experienced diabetic foot ulcers and end up losing their toes, foot or leg.
“One of the ways to heal these wounds is by giving them oxygen,” said Babak Ziaie, Professor at the Purdue University in the US. “We’ve created a system that gradually releases oxygen throughout the day so that a patient can have more mobility.” Without the ability to feel pain, hits and bumps tend to go unnoticed and skin tissue breaks down, forming ulcers. A lot of sugar in the bloodstream, along with dried skin as a result of diabetes, further slow the ulcer healing process. The researchers used lasers to shape silicone-based rubber into insoles, and then create reservoirs that release oxygen only at the part of the foot where the ulcer is located.
How this helps:
- This silicone based rubber used in the insoles is flexible and allows good oxygen permeability.
- The laser machining tunes the oxygen permeability and targets the wound site providing it with adequate oxygen and helping it heal.
- The insole is said to deliver oxygen at least eight hours a day under the pressure of someone weighing about 53-81 kg.