Effect of Early Postoperative Physical Therapy and Educational Program on Wound Recurrence in Diabetic Foot Ulcers: A Randomized Controlled Trial

<b>Objective:</b> This study aimed to examine the impact of early postoperative physical therapy combined with an educational program on wound recurrence and quality of life in patients with foot ulcers. <b>Methods:</b> Forty-eight postoperative patients with diabetic foot ulcers were randomly assigned to either an intervention group, which received both physical therapy and an educational program (<i>n</i> = 25), or a control group, which received physical therapy only (<i>n</i> = 23). Each intervention was initiated on the day after surgery in both groups. The intervention group participated in physical therapy sessions, followed by a 15 min disease education program conducted five times per week. The primary endpoint was the rate of wound recurrence six months after hospital discharge. Secondary endpoints included ankle dorsiflexion range of motion, knee extension strength, gait functional independence measure scores, problem areas in diabetes scores, and EuroQol-5 dimensions-5 levels scores. <b>Results:</b> The intervention group demonstrated a significantly lower rate of wound recurrence within six months after discharge (10.5%) compared with the control group (27.7%). <b>Conclusions:</b> The combined use of early postoperative physical therapy and educational programs was an effective intervention strategy, contributing to reduced wound recurrence rates in patients with diabetic foot ulcers.