A new shoe insole technology has been created by researchers to decrease the likelihood of diabetic foot ulcers, a hazardous open wound that can result in hospitalization and amputation of the leg, foot, or toe.”It puts excessive stress on the foot while walking,” said Muthu B.J. Wijesundara, principal research scientist at The University of Texas at Arlington Research Institute (UTARI).
Diabetes affects approximately 39 million individuals in the U.S. It has the potential to harm the small blood vessels that provide blood to the nerves, resulting in poor circulation and foot sores, known as ulcers. Around one-third of people with diabetes will develop foot ulcers at some point in their lives. In the U.S., over 160,000 lower extremity amputations are carried out each year due to complications from diabetic foot ulcers, costing the American health system approximately $30 billion annually. Those who have diabetes and their feet are especially at risk.The individuals with foot ulcers have been shown to have a shorter life expectancy compared to those without ulcers. While many insoles have been developed to address this issue, research suggests that their effectiveness in preventing ulcers is limited. Wijesundara and his team have taken this research a step further by creating a pressure-alternating shoe insole. This insole works by relieving pressure from different areas of the foot in a cyclical manner, providing periods of rest to the soft tissues and improving blood flow. The goal of this approach is to maintain the health of the skin and tissues, ultimately reducing the risk of diabetic foot ulcers.An article in the peer-reviewed International Journal of Lower Extremity Wounds discusses an innovative insole technology developed by Wijesundara and colleagues. The team, including Veysel Erel, Aida Nasirian, Yixin Gu, and Larry Lavery of UT Southwestern Medical Center, aims to refine the technology to make it more accessible for users with varying weights and shoe sizes after a successful pilot project. Wijesundara expressed excitement about the potential impact of the technology on the lives of people with foot ulcers. The research was supported by a $229,480 grant from the Na.The National Institute of Aging of the National Institutes of Health provided funding for this research under grant number 7R21AG061471.
