Correcting the cause: Surgical offloading for healing and recurrence prevention in neuro-mechanical diabetic foot ulcers

Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are among the most debilitating complications of diabetes mellitus, substantially increasing morbidity, healthcare costs, and risk of amputation. We prospectively evaluated the efficacy of various tailored surgical offloading procedures in promoting biomechanical ulcer healing and preventing recurrence. No patient experienced ulcer recurrence or new ulcer formation during a mean follow-up of one year. Revision surgery was not required in any case. Individualised surgical offloading techniques are viable and effective for DFUs as they address the underlying biomechanical derangements that predispose to ulceration.