Smart Insoles: A Step Forward in Preventing Diabetic Foot Ulcers

The University of Texas at Arlington Research Institute (UTARI) has collaborated with shoe manufacturers to create a novel insole technology that can lower the incidence of #diabetic #foot ulcers, a dangerous condition that impacts over 39 million Americans annually. Under the direction of Muthu B.J. Wijesundara, lead research scientist, the group tackled a major contributing factor to foot ulcers: the repetitive strain placed on the foot while walking.

Diabetes can cause impaired circulation and foot ulcers by damaging the tiny blood vessels that carry blood to the nerves. With shoe insoles, there have been several attempts to address this problem, but the results have been mediocre. Wijesundara and colleagues adopted a novel strategy by developing a shoe insole that alternates between pressure. By cyclically relieving pressure in various foot areas, this cutting-edge technology improves blood flow and gives the soft tissues a break. The intention is to prevent diabetic foot ulcers by preserving the health of the skin and tissues.

Their study, which was published in the peer-reviewed International Journal of Lower Extremity Wounds, describes how effective this #novel #insole technology is. Together with partners from UT Southwestern Medical Center, the team intends to improve the technology to support users of different shoe sizes and weights.

Given that diabetic foot ulcer complications result in over 160,000 lower extremity #amputations in the United States each year, at a cost of over $30 billion, this novel approach has the potential to significantly improve the lives of a large number of people who are at risk.

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Materials: https://www.uta.edu/news/news-releases/2024/04/19/shoe-technology-reduces-risk-of-diabetic-foot-ulcers

Reference: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/15347346241234825