Chennai researchers develop footwear to treat diabetic foot ulcer, reduce risk of amputation

Chennai: Up to 20per cent of the 101 million people with diabetes in the country will develop foot ulcer and are at a risk of lower limb amputation. At present, there is no device that can prevent this. But researchers from Central Leather Research Institute (CLRI) have developed and patented special footwear that can help heal wounds faster and reduce the chance of amputation while also improving the gait.

Researchers said the new footwear - ankle-foot orthosis (AFO) - is an offloading device that redistributes the pressure of the plantar, the tissue that connects the heel bone with the base of the toes, where most ulcers occur. The pressure offloading capability of the footwear would help fasten healing particularly in high-risk patients with diabetes suffering plantar ulcers. It will also reduce the chances of recurrence.

"People with diabetes run the risk of amputation if the foot ulcer does not heal in three months. Offloading the pressure at the ulcer site along with other clinical intervention will help it heal faster. People can wear our footwear and go about their daily activities," said G Saraswathy, principal scientist, Shoe and Product Design Centre, CLRI.

Diabetic foot ulcers can occur due to high blood sugar accelerating peripheral arterial disease, where cholesterol builds up in an artery in the lower leg and worsens. The plaque enlarges and could block blood flow in the lower leg which causes tissues to die and lead to ulcers. Other causes could be calluses, foot deformities, improper foot care, peripheral neuropathy and ill-fitting footwear.

At present, foot ulcers are treated with customised footwear or with external devices such as total contact cast, removable walker and half shoe. But researchers said they work only for people who have a low risk of amputation.

At CLRI, researchers have mapped the change in foot dimensions and the gait and have come up with standard size and dimensions of the shells to make the footwear. "AFO is an off-the-shelf product in three sizes for men and three for women. Only the insole will be modified. We have calculated the cost of AFO to be around 10,000," the researcher said.

Soon, an orthotics workshop will be set up in CLRI to make the ankle-foot orthosis device for field testing.