[Intelligent footwear for diabetic patients]. / Chaussures intelligentes pour patients diabétiques.

The incidence of diabetic foot ulcerations and lower extremity amputations remains very high and inacceptable. The high risk of ulceration and consequent amputation is strongly related to difficulties to obtain foot off-loading, particularly on long term. Due to the complexity of their utilization, the available foot off-loading devices are underused both by health care providers and patients with very low therapeutic adherence. This article summarizes the foot off-loading in diabetic patients and describes the concept of intelligent footwear we developed, based on continuous measurements and permanent and automatic adaptations of the shoe insole's rigidity.