Comparative Analysis of Bone Resection Versus Bone Curettage in Diabetic Foot Osteomyelitis.

This study aims to describe the healing times of patients who underwent bone resection compared to bone curettage for managing diabetic foot osteomyelitis and to compare short- and long-term complications. This analytical retrospective observational cohort study collected clinical records of patients from a specialized diabetic foot clinic who underwent resection or bone curettage between January 2017 and January 2022. After surgery, a 1-year follow-up was conducted to record healing times and short- and long-term complications. The study included thirty-one patients, with 19 (61.29%) undergoing resections and 11 (38.71%) undergoing bone curettages. The resection cohort had a mean healing time of 5.70 ± 6.05 weeks, whereas the curettage cohort had a mean healing time of 14.45 ± 11.78 weeks, showing a statistically significant difference (P = 0.011). No significant differences were observed in terms of short- and long-term complications. In the resection cohort, 12 (63.20%) experienced short-term complications, compared to eight (66.70%) in the curettage cohort (P = 0.842, χ2 = 0.40, OR = 1.16). In the resection cohort, n = 6 (31.60%) had long-term complications, while n = 3 (25.00%) in the curettage cohort experienced long-term complications (P = 0.694, χ2 = 0.155, OR = 0.72). Although there were no significant differences in short- and long-term complications between resection and curettage, the resection group showed shorter healing times.

Analysis of the Influence of Diabetic Nephropathy in Patients with Diabetic Foot Osteomyelitis.

This study analyzed the influence of diabetic nephropathy on the healing prognosis after conservative surgery in diabetic foot osteomyelitis (DFO). A retrospective observational study was carried out between January 2021 and December 2022 and involved 278 outpatients with a diagnosis of DFO at a specialized diabetic foot unit, including 74 (26.62%) patients with DN (group 2) and 204 (73.38%) patients without DN (group 1). There were 266 (95.70%) ulcers on the forefoot, 8 (2.90%) on the midfoot, and 4 (1.45%) on the hindfoot (p = 0.992). The healing rates were 85.1% (n = 63) for group 2 and 81.3% (n = 165) for group 1 (p = 0.457). When exploring the influence of DN on the risk of delayed ulcer healing, the results did not show a significant effect [12 (6; 28) weeks among patients with DN vs. 12 (6; 21) weeks among patients without DN; p = 0.576]. No significant differences were observed in complications, with one (2.59%) death occurring in group 1 (p = 0.296) and three minor amputations being performed in both groups [two (5.13%) amputations in group 1 vs. one amputation (9.09%) in group 2; p = 0.217]. Bone cultures were performed for a total of 190 patients (133 in group 1 and 57 in group 2). Of these, 176 positive bone cultures were isolated: 71 positive bone cultures (57.7%) were monomicrobial cultures in group 1, with 30 (56.6%) in group 2. There were 52 (42.3%) that had at least two microorganisms in group 1, and 23 (43.4%) in group 2 (p = 0.890). The most frequently prescribed oral antibiotic was amoxicillin/clavulanate (43.89%), followed by levofloxacin (28.4%), and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (14.7%). This study shows that DN does not have a significant influence on the healing prognosis of patients with DFO after conservative surgery.

The Influence of Arterial Calcification on Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Diabetic Foot Ulcer Complicated by Osteomyelitis Treated by Surgery.

The aim of our study was to analyze the influence of radiographic arterial calcification (RAC) on clinical outcomes and wound healing in patients with diabetic foot ulcers complicated by osteomyelitis treated by surgery. We analyzed retrospectively the clinical records of 102 patients with diabetic foot osteomyelitis who underwent surgery at a specialized diabetic foot unit between January 2014 and December 2016. The clinical data of evolution until its complete epithelialization and a follow-up 1 year were reviewed, and after reviewing the radiological images, patients were classified into 2 groups: those with RAC and those without RAC. We analyzed several clinical features in both groups. The presence of RAC was associated with a greater time of healing (10.68 ± 7.24 vs 8.11 ± 4.50 weeks; P = .029) and shorter time to recurrence and reulceration (13.30 ± 9.25 vs 18.81 ± 11.63 weeks; P = .036). However, this association was not found for patients with mild and moderate peripheral artery disease (PAD), whose time of healing was 8.97 ± 4.51 weeks compared to 9.16 ± 6.39 weeks for patients without PAD; P = .864. The time of healing of diabetic foot ulcers complicated by osteomyelitis treated by surgery can be negatively affected by the presence of RAC even more than by the presence of mild and moderate ischemia. The presence of RAC may offer clinical guidance at the level of primary care though this would need thorough validation in future studies.

Safety and Efficacy of Several Versus Isolated Prophylactic Flexor Tenotomies in Diabetes Patients: A 1-Year Prospective Study.

Background: To assess long-term clinical outcomes of patients who underwent isolated versus several percutaneous flexor tenotomies for the treatment of toe deformities and previous diabetic foot ulcers; Methods: Twenty-three patients (mean age 66.26 ± 11.20, years) who underwent prophylactic percutaneous flexor tenotomies secondary to tip-toe ulcers participated in this 1-year prospective study. The study was stratified into two groups for analyses: (1) isolated tenotomies patients, and (2) several tenotomies patients (two or more tenotomies). Outcome measures were toe reulceration and recurrence, minor lesions, digital deformities, and peak plantar pressure (PPP­N/cm2) and pressure/time Integral (PTI­N/cm2/s) in the hallux and minor toes after a 1-year follow-up period; Results: Patients with isolated tenotomies (n = 11, 35.48%) showed a higher rate of reulceration (n = 8, 72.7%, p < 0.001) in the adjacent toes, additionally, we found more prevalence of hyperkeratosis (n = 11, 100%), minor lesions (n = 9, 81%), and claw toes (n = 11, 100%) (p < 0.001). In several tenotomies patients (n = 20, 64.52%), we found a higher rate of floating toes (n = 16, 80%) in comparison with isolated tenotomies patients (p < 0.001). PPP and PTI in the non-tenotomy toes were higher in the group of patients who underwent isolated tenotomies (p < 0.001); Conclusions: Patients who underwent several tenotomies had better clinical outcomes after a 1-year follow-up period compared to isolated tenotomies.

Are Digital Arthroplasty and Arthrodesis Useful and Safe Surgical Techniques for the Management of Patients with Diabetic Foot?

OBJECTIVE: To analyze and compare the development of short- and long-term complications in patients with diabetic foot after digital arthroplasty or arthrodesis. METHODS: The authors reviewed patient records from January 2017 to March 2020. Patients were treated by digital arthroplasty or arthrodesis to correct toe deformity (elective or prophylactic surgery), achieve ulcer healing in toes (curative surgery), or manage toe infection (emergent surgery). During 1-year follow-up, researchers registered short- and long-term complications. Researchers analyzed the association between the type of surgery and the development of short- and long-term complications. RESULTS: Forty-four patients (83.0%) received arthroplasty, and nine (17.0%) received arthrodesis. The mean time to heal from ulcers was 5.2 ± 5.2 weeks. A significant association was observed between arthrodesis and the development of long-term complications (P = .044; odds ratio, 5.1; 95% confidence interval, 0.9-27.2). No differences were observed between type of surgery and short- or long-term complications. Moreover, both short- and long-term complications were related to longer time to heal (respectively, 7.6 ± 6.0 vs 2.1 ± 0.5 weeks, P < .001; and 6.3 ± 6.2 vs 4.2 ± 4.0 weeks, P = .039). CONCLUSIONS: Digital arthroplasty or arthrodesis are good options for managing patients with diabetic foot who require digital deformity correction to achieve digital ulcer healing or management of diabetic foot infection in phalanges.

Clinical and Histological Outcomes of Negatively Charged Polystyrene Microspheres Applied Daily Versus Three Times per Week in Hard-to-Heal Diabetic Foot Ulcers: A Randomized Blinded Controlled Trial.

Negatively charged polystyrene microspheres (NCMs) have been demonstrated as a novel and effective therapy for managing hard-to-heal diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs). However, one limitation of this therapy is that the protocol is based on daily application, which sometimes does not fit local protocols of wound care. Thus, we aimed to analyze the safety and efficacy of a new dose regimen. We conducted a randomized blinded controlled trial in a specialized diabetic foot unit between May 2019 and February 2021 with a total of 30 patients who had neuropathic or neuroischemic DFUs that had not responded after four weeks of standard treatment. Patients were randomized consecutively into a group that received daily application (control) or one that received applications three times per week (experimental). The clinical outcomes were evaluated using the Wollina score and wound-area reduction (WAR) weekly during a treatment period of 28 days. The histological outcomes were assessed using a soft-tissue punch biopsy (3 mm) at 0, 14, and 28 days to evaluate cellular proliferation. The Wollina scores were higher at the end of treatment by week 4 in both groups, but the differences were not significant between groups. The averages were 6 (5, 7) points in Experimental group (EG) and 6 (6,7) points in Control group (CG) (p = 0.848). Wound area reduction at day 28 was 53.57 [37.43, 79.16] % in the CG and 79.37 [42.74, 93.57] % in the EG, without differences among groups (p = 0.305). Cellular proliferation was similar in both groups at day 28. Application three times per week showed similar clinical and histological outcomes to those of daily application, both dose regimens demonstrated significant improvement of granulation tissue formation and WAR during the treatment.

Efficacy of cryotherapy for plantar warts: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Recent systematic reviews of plantar warts continue to consider cryotherapy as one of the treatments of choice, but this method appears to have lower cure rates than alternative treatments. A systematic review using meta-analyses of the efficacy of cryotherapy in plantar warts treatment was performed. Systematic electronic searches were conducted. The primary endpoint was complete clearance of plantar warts. Risk-of-bias assessment was based on Cochrane Handbook recommendations. Meta-analyses used Review Manager v5.4.1 software. Cryotherapy appears to have lower cure rates than other treatments (odds ratio [OR] 0.31, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.12-0.78) with substantial heterogeneity (I2  = 80%). A second subgroup analysis had low heterogeneity (I2  = 28.2%). Subgroup analysis showed that plantar wart cure rates were significantly lower with cryotherapy compared to the physical treatment group (OR 0.05, 95% CI 0.01-0.49) with substantial heterogeneity (I2  = 79%), and antiviral, chemotherapy, and retinoid group (OR 0.30, 95% CI 0.14-0.66) without heterogeneity (I2  = 0%). Intralesional versus spray-on cryotherapy appears to be more effective (OR 0.21, 95% CI 0.09-0.48). No difference in efficacy between two rounds of 10-s and four rounds of 5-s freeze-thaw cycles in cryotherapy was found. Evidence of the superiority of antivirals and chemotherapy over cryotherapy in the treatment of plantar warts was found. However, no evidence supports the superiority or inferiority of cryotherapy compared to other treatments.

A comparison of hyperspectral imaging with routine vascular noninvasive techniques to assess the healing prognosis in patients with diabetic foot ulcers.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the potential healing prognosis of the different routine noninvasive techniques implemented in the International Working Group Diabetic Foot Guidelines with the novel use of hyperspectral imaging (HSI) in patients with diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs). METHODS: Twenty-one patients with active DFUs participated in this 1-year prospective study in a specialized diabetic foot unit between December 2018 and January 2020. HSI was performed at baseline to quantify tissue oxygenation and should be presented on an anatomical map by analyzing the following parameters: (1) oxygen saturation of the hemoglobin, (2) tissue hemoglobin index, (3) the near-infrared perfusion index, and (4) tissue water index. In addition, transcutaneous oxygen pressure (TcpO2), systolic toe and ankle pressures, ankle-brachial index, and toe-brachial index values were calculated for the ulcerated limb. The primary outcome measure was wound healing, defined as complete epithelization without any drainage confirmed for at least 10 days after closure was first documented at 24 weeks. RESULTS: During the follow-up period 14 patients (66.66 %) healed and 7 patients did not heal (33.3%) by 24 weeks. The TcpO2 optimal cut-off point as determined by a balance of sensitivity and specificity of 28.5 mm Hg that yielded a sensitivity of 91% and a specificity of 100%, and area under the curve of 0.989 (P = .005; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.945-1.000). Followed by the oxygen saturation of the hemoglobin optimal cut-off point as determined by a balance of sensitivity and specificity of 48.5 mm Hg that yielded a sensitivity of 93% and a specificity of 0.71%, and area under the curve of 0.932 (P = .013; 95% CI, 0.787-1.000). The logistic regression analyses showed that TcpO2 was the only variable associated with wound healing at 24 weeks (P < .001; 95% CI, 0.046-0.642). CONCLUSIONS: The HSI was shown to be effective in the prognosis of DFU healing compared with other noninvasive test; only TcpO2 values resulted in better diagnosis potential in wound healing.

A non-invasive method for diagnosing plantar warts caused by human papillomavirus (HPV).

The methods that are used for the diagnostic confirmation of human papillomavirus (HPV) include excisional biopsy and histopathological studies or polymerase chain reaction (PCR). They are invasive, laborious, and subject to ethical restrictions due to the benign nature of these warts. This study aims to analyse the accuracy of noninvasive swab samples to diagnose plantar warts. Fifty plantar warts were included in the study. Skin swabs and hyperkeratosis skin scales were collected from each wart. Multiplex PCR was performed to detect and type the HPVs. The prevalence of HPV in this study was 90% when the sample was obtained using the wart scraping method and 94% when it was obtained using swabs and the new method. In 45 of the 45 positive samples (sensitivity: 100%), the result between the wart scab and wart swab were almost identical. The genotyping result was identical in all 46 patients who had a positive result using both methods. The swab method appears to be a simple and accurate technique to diagnose plantar warts due to HPV. It is a noninvasive technique that could be performed even by inexperienced professionals and in patients with pain or a fear of needles.

Analysis of Plantar Pressure Pattern after Metatarsal Head Resection. Can Plantar Pressure Predict Diabetic Foot Reulceration?

To evaluate the metatarsal head that was associated with the highest plantar pressure after metatarsal head resection (MHR) and the relations with reulceration at one year, a prospective was conducted with a total of sixty-five patients with diabetes who suffered from the first MHR and with an inactive ulcer at the moment of inclusion. Peak plantar pressure and pressure time integral were recorded at five specific locations in the forefoot: first, second, third, fourth, and fifth metatarsal heads. The highest value of the four remaining metatarsals was selected. After resection of the first metatarsal head, there is a displacement of the pressure beneath the second metatarsal head (p < 0.001). Following the resection of the minor metatarsal bones, there was a medial displacement of the plantar pressure. In this way, plantar pressure was displaced under the first metatarsal head following resection of the second or third head (p = 0.001) and under the central heads after resection of the fourth or fifth metatarsal head (p < 0.009 and p < 0.001 respectively). During the one-year follow-up, patients who underwent a metatarsal head resection in the first and second metatarsal heads suffered transfer lesion in the location with the highest pressure. Patients who underwent a minor metatarsal head resection (second-fifth metatarsal heads) showed a medial transference of pressure. Additionally, following the resection of the first metatarsal head there was a transference of pressure beneath the second metatarsal head. Increase of pressure was found to be a predictor of reulceration in cases of resection of the first and second metatarsal heads.

Diagnostic Accuracy of Bone Culture Versus Biopsy in Diabetic Foot Osteomyelitis.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the diagnostic accuracy of bone culture (microbiology) and biopsy (histology) in patients with acute or chronic diabetic foot osteomyelitis (DFO). METHODS: This cross-sectional study involved patients for whom providers had a clinical suspicion of DFO. Two bone samples were taken: one for microbiologic testing and another for histologic testing. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and likelihood ratio were calculated for bone culture results in relation to the probability of DFO diagnosis. RESULTS: Fifty-two patients were included; 69% had positive bone culture results, and 90.4% had positive histology results (P = .013), and of those 90.4%, 25.5% had acute and 74.5% had chronic DFO. The sensitivity of the microbiologic bone culture result was 0.70, the specificity was 0.40, the positive predictive value was 0.92, and the negative predictive value was 0.13. CONCLUSIONS: Histology provides more accurate diagnosis of DFO than microbiology, especially for patients with chronic DFO. These patients could be underdiagnosed because of false-negative results provided by bone culture. Providers should perform both tests to confirm the presence of DFO.

Role of inflammatory markers in the healing time of diabetic foot osteomyelitis treated by surgery or antibiotics.

OBJECTIVE: To analyse the predictive role of inflammatory markers in the healing time of diabetic foot osteomyelitis treated by surgery or antibiotics. METHODS: An observational study of patients with diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) and clinically suspected osteomyelitis. The patients underwent surgical or antibiotic treatment for bone infection in a specialised diabetic foot unit. Blood samples were taken from each patient to analyse biomarkers. The main outcome was the number of weeks until healing occurred. RESULTS: A total of 116 patients took part in the study. The number of weeks until healing was similar for both groups (surgical n=96 and antiobiotic n=20, treatments). No association was observed among biomarkers as predictors of time-to-healing. CONCLUSION: There is not enough evidence to define the prognostic role of inflammatory markers in the healing time of DFUs complicated with diabetic foot osteomyelitis, regardless of the treatment administered.

Complications associated with the approach to metatarsal head resection in diabetic foot osteomyelitis.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the recovery time and the development of complications in the dorsal and plantar approach to metatarsal head resections (MHR) in patients with diabetic foot ulcers complicated by osteomyelitis. A retrospective study was carried out involving 108 patients who underwent MHRs for the treatment of diabetic foot osteomyelitis. Two cohorts were defined: dorsal approach with incision closed with sutures and plantar approach with ulcer healed using conservative treatment. The main outcomes were the weeks until healing and complications related to the approaches. Fifty-three patients (49.1%) underwent a plantar approach and 55 (50.9%) a dorsal approach. Both approaches rendered similar healing times. However, the patients undergoing a dorsal approach developed more post-surgical complications than patients treated through a plantar approach. The dorsal approach intervention was performed on smaller and shallower ulcers; however, more complications developed at follow up using this approach than through a plantar approach for MHR complicated with osteomyelitis.

Diagnostic and therapeutic update on diabetic foot osteomyelitis. / Actualización diagnóstica y terapéutica en el pie diabético complicado con osteomielitis.

Diabetic foot osteomyelitis (DFO) is the most common infection associated to diabetic foot ulcers (DFU). This review is designed to provide an update on the diagnosis and treatment of DFO based on an analysis of MEDLINE through PubMed using as search criterion "Diabetic Foot Osteomyelitis". Authors have included in this review the most relevant manuscripts regarding diagnosis and treatment of DFO. After review and critical analysis of publications, it may be concluded that diagnosis of DFO is not simple because of its heterogeneous presentation. Clinical inflammatory signs, probe-to-bone test, and plain X-rays are postulated as the basic tests for clinical diagnosis when DFO is suspected. Diagnosis should be supported by laboratory tests, of which ESR (>70mm/h) has been shown to be most precise. MRI is the most accurate imaging test, especially for differential diagnosis with Charcot foot. Pathogen isolation by bone culture is essential when the patient is treated with ATB only. Medical or surgical treatment should be based on the clinical characteristics of the patient and the lesion. Surgery should always be an option if medical treatment fails.