Diabetic Foot Ulcer Healing by Load Relieving Dressing

描述（由申请人提供）：在美国，每年至少有200，000例糖尿病相关足部溃疡影响患者，每年在糖尿病患者中进行的80，000多例下肢截肢术中，大多数都是在足部溃疡之前进行的。常规护理的溃疡愈合率通常在20周内仅约为30%，但全接触石膏（TCC）平均可以在8周内治愈> 90%的溃疡。然而，接受TCC的供应商是穷人的一些原因，因此有效的替代品必须found.The目前的建议，旨在证明原型负荷减轻敷料（LRD）的可行性，使用定量方法来测量足底压力的畸形患者，通常会导致足底溃疡，愈合的机械阈值已被定义在溃疡患者的脚。一旦证明了敷料概念的可行性，我们将跟进第二阶段的建议，其中有限元建模将用于完善LRD。该产品不仅具有商业潜力，而且还提供了将工具交到提供者手中的可能性，该工具可以比目前通常更快地治愈许多溃疡，因此可以防止许多下肢截肢。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): In the US at least 200,000 diabetes related foot ulcers per year affect patients and the majority of the more than 80,000 lower extremity amputations performed in diabetic patients per year are preceded by a foot ulcer. Usual care ulcer healing rates are typically only about 30% in 20 weeks, yet a total contact cast (TCC) can heal > 90% of ulcers in 8 weeks on average. However, acceptance of the TCC by providers is poor for a number of reasons and thus efficacious alternatives must be found. The present proposal seeks to demonstrate the feasibility of a prototype Load Relieving Dressing (LRD) using quantitative methods to measure plantar pressures on the foot in patients with deformities that typically cause plantar ulcers, after the mechanical threshold for healing has been defined in ulcer patients. Once feasibility of the dressing concept has been demonstrated we will follow up with a phase II proposal in which finite element modeling will be used to refine the LRD. This product not only has commercial potential, but also offers the possibility of putting a tool into the hands of providers which could heal many ulcers faster than is usual at present and could therefore prevent many lower extremity amputations.