COOLING SHOES DEVELOPED BY DALLAS SCIENTISTS TARGET DIABETIC FOOT ULCERS

Scientists at UT Southwestern Medical Center have created “cooling shoes” to help prevent the open wounds, or foot ulcers, common in patients with diabetes. As people walk, two forces act on their feet that can cause damage over time. One of these forces is pressure, or the force of the bottom of the foot in contact with the ground. Most clinicians treating these patients focus on pressure as a cause of diabetic foot ulcers and suggest either resting or wearing special diabetic shoes with extra support. But there is another force that some physicians ignore, said Dr. David Armstrong, a podiatric surgeon at Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California. 

 

Dr. David Armstrong

 

“Shear stress is podiatry’s ‘dark matter,’” he said, drawing on a physics metaphor. Both dark matter and shear forces exist, but are hard to measure directly. As temperatures rise, the cells in our skin require more oxygen. But blood can only circulate so fast around our body to provide those cells with the oxygen that they need. The cells end up needing more oxygen than is available. This imbalance can lead to the breakdown of whole tissues. In patients with diabetes, doctors can actually predict where ulcers will form on their feet by looking for “hot spots.”

 

Source: Gina Mantica, Dallas Morning News via Dr. Donald Blum

Courtesy of Barry Block, editor of PM News