Diabetics are prone to foot ulcers due to peripheral neuropathy: decreased sensation caused by this condition can result in a cut and trauma to the foot going unnoticed or can result in unusual pressures being placed on the foot. Diabetic foot ulcers are the most significant wound care problem in the United States and the world. There are now over 60 million diabetic patients in the United States, with an incidence of foot ulcers of approximately 20-25 percent over the patient’s lifetime. Currently, there are approximately 100,000 limb amputations performed in diabetic patients each year in the United States. The exact cost of care for diabetic foot ulcers is difficult to determine, but is likely to be measured in billions of dollars.
Diabetes and, therefore, diabetic foot ulcer complications are growing at double digit rates and have the potential of becoming even a more devastating epidemic.
