Researchers have developed a new shoe insole technology that reduces the risk of diabetic foot ulcers, dangerous ulcers that can lead to hospitalization and amputation of feet, feet, and toes.
“The goal of this innovative insole technology is to reduce the risk of diabetic foot ulcers by addressing one of the most important causes of foot ulcers: skin and soft tissue breakdown caused by repetitive stress on the foot during walking. and mitigation,” said lead researcher Muthu BJ Wijesundara. At the University of Texas at Arlington Research Institute (UTARI).
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Diabetes, which affects about 39 million people in the United States, can damage the small blood vessels that supply blood to nerves, causing poor circulation and foot pain, also known as ulcers. Approximately one-third of people with diabetes will develop foot ulcers during their lifetime. Complications from diabetic foot ulcers result in more than 160,000 lower extremity amputations each year in the United States, costing the U.S. health care system approximately $30 billion annually. People with foot ulcers often die at a younger age than people without ulcers.
“Many shoe insoles have been created over the years to alleviate the problem of foot ulcers, but studies have shown that their effectiveness in preventing ulcers is modest,” Wijesundara said. Ta. “We took our research a step further by creating a pressure alternating shoe insole that works by periodically relieving pressure from different areas of the foot, thereby giving the soft tissues a period of rest, Improved blood flow. This approach aims to maintain skin and tissue health, thereby reducing the risk of diabetic foot ulcers.”
In a peer-reviewed article in the International Journal of Lower Extremity Wounds, Wijesundara and UTA colleagues Veysel Erel, Aida Nasirian, Yixin Gu, and Larry Lavery of UT Southwestern Medical Center describe the innovative orthotics technology. explained. After this pilot project is successful, the research team's next step is to refine the technology to make it more accessible to users of different weights and shoe sizes.
“Given the impact of foot ulcers, we are excited that we may be able to make a real difference to the lives of so many people,” Wijesundara said.
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This research was supported by a $229,480 grant from the National Institute on Aging of the National Institutes of Health (grant number 7R21AG061471).
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