Abstract
BACKGROUND: Diabetic Foot Ulceration in patients with diabetes could be associated with high plantar pressure caused by diabetes neuropathy. Therefore, it seems that one of the ways of identifying high-risk legs in diabetic patients with neuropathy would be characterization of elevated plantar pressure distributions. OBJECTIVE: Comparing the plantar pressure distribution in diabetic patients who suffered neuropathy with those without neuropathy. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Plantar pressure distribution was recorded in the following categories: 38 diabetic patients without neuropathy, 30, 40 and 34 patients with mild neuropathy, moderate and severe neuropathy respectively. RESULTS: Patients suffered from severe neuropathy suggested higher maximum peak plantar pressure at midfoot, heel, and medial forefoot. The peak pressure of midfoot was significantly different in the following categories as well: patient without neuropathy (32.3 ± 17.9 kPa), mild neuropathic (24.0 ± 17.9 kPa), moderate neuropathic (21.5 ± 12.6 kPa), and severe neuropathic (22.9 ± 10.7 kPa) groups (p = 0.02). CONCLUSION: The progression of diabetic neuropathy would have been increased followed by the peak plantar pressure.