Decreasing incidence of foot ulcer among patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes in the period 2001-2014.

AIM: Diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) is a serious complication to diabetes. The aim was to study the incidence of first DFU among patients with type 1 (T1DM) and type 2 diabetes (T2DM), stratified according to etiology: neuropathic, neuro-ischemic or ischemic, over a period of 14years (2001-2014). METHODS: DFU incidence rates were calculated from electronic patient record data from patients with T1DM and complicated T2DM from a large specialized diabetes hospital with a multidisciplinary foot clinic in Denmark. Poisson regression was used to model incidence of first DFU according to calendar year, diabetes type and etiology. RESULTS: Among 5640 patients with T1DM 255 developed a DFU, corresponding to an incidence of 5.8 (95% confidence interval (95%CI) 5.1-6.5) per 1000 patient years; this incidence dropped from 8.1 (95%CI 5.4-11.9) per 1000 patient years in 2002 to 2.6 (95%CI 1.3-5.3) in 2014 (p=0.0059). Among 6953 patients with T2DM 310 developed a DFU, corresponding to an incidence of 11.3 (95%CI 10.1-12.6) per 1000 patient years; this incidence dropped from 17.0 (95%CI 12.2-23.8) per 1000 patient years in 2002 to 8.7 (95%CI 5.3-14.1) per 1000 patient year (p=0.0260) in 2014. CONCLUSION: The incidence of DFU has decreased substantially in T1DM as well as in T2DM. This change was driven by a decrease in incidence of neuropathic ulcers.

Minor amputation does not negatively affect health-related quality of life as compared with conservative treatment in patients with a diabetic foot ulcer: An observational study.

BACKGROUND: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is poor in patients with persistent diabetic foot ulcers and poor HRQoL predicts worse outcomes in these patients. Amputation is often considered a treatment failure, which is why conservative treatment is generally preferred over amputation. However, it is unclear whether minor amputation negatively affects HRQoL compared with conservative treatment in patients with diabetic foot ulcers. METHODS: In the cohort of the multicenter, prospective, observational Eurodiale study, we determined difference in change of HRQoL measured by EQ-5D between patients with a diabetic foot ulcers that healed after conservative treatment (n = 676) and after minor amputation (n = 145). Propensity score was used to adjust for known confounders, attempting to overcome lack of randomization. RESULTS: Baseline HRQoL was not significantly different between patients treated conservatively and undergoing minor amputation. In addition, there was no difference in the change of HRQoL between these groups. In patients who healed 6 to 12 months after the first visit, HRQoL on the anxiety/depression subscale even appeared to improve more in those who underwent minor amputation. CONCLUSIONS: Minor amputation was not associated with a negative impact on HRQoL in patients with a diabetic foot ulcers. It may therefore not be considered treatment failure in terms of HRQoL but rather a viable treatment option. A randomized controlled trial is warranted to further examine the influence of minor amputations on health-related quality of life.

Increased healing in diabetic toe ulcers in a multidisciplinary foot clinic-An observational cohort study.

AIM: To study toe ulcer healing in patients with diabetic foot ulcers attending a multidisciplinary foot clinic over a 10 years period. METHODS: The study was retrospective, consecutive and observational during 2001 through 2011. The patients were treated according to the International Consensus on the Diabetic Foot. During the period the chiropodist staffing in the foot clinic was doubled; new offloading material and orthopedic foot corrections for recalcitrant ulcers were introduced. Healing was investigated in toe ulcers in Cox regression models. RESULTS: 2634 patients developed foot ulcers, of which 1461 developed toe ulcers; in 790 patients these were neuropathic, in 551 they were neuro-ischemic and in 120 they were critically ischemic. One-year healing rates increased in the period 2001-2011 from 75% to 91% for neuropathic toe ulcers and from 72% to 80% for neuro-ischemic toe ulcers, while no changes was observed for ischemic toe ulcers. Adjusted for changes in the patient population, the overall rate of healing for neuropathic and neuro-ischemic toe ulcers almost doubled (HR=1.95 [95% CI: 1.36-2.80]). CONCLUSION: The results show that the healing of toe ulcers improved. This outcome could not be explained by changes in the patient characteristics, but coincided with a number of improvements in organization and therapy.

Motivation, effort and life circumstances as predictors of foot ulcers and amputations in people with Type 2 diabetes mellitus.

AIM: To investigate the predictive value of both patients' motivation and effort in their management of Type 2 diabetes and their life circumstances for the development of foot ulcers and amputations. METHODS: This study was based on the Diabetes Care in General Practice study and Danish population and health registers. The associations between patient motivation, effort and life circumstances and foot ulcer prevalence 6 years after diabetes diagnosis and the incidence of amputation in the following 13 years were analysed using odds ratios from logistic regression and hazard ratios from Cox regression models, respectively. RESULTS: Foot ulcer prevalence 6 years after diabetes diagnosis was 2.93% (95% CI 1.86-4.00) among 956 patients. General practitioners' indication of 'poor' vs 'very good' patient motivation for diabetes management was associated with higher foot ulcer prevalence (odds ratio 6.11, 95% CI 1.22-30.61). The same trend was seen for 'poor' vs 'good' influence of the patient's own effort in diabetes treatment (odds ratio 7.06, 95% CI 2.65-18.84). Of 1058 patients examined at 6-year follow-up, 45 experienced amputation during the following 13 years. 'Poor' vs 'good' influence of the patients' own effort was associated with amputation (hazard ratio 7.12, 95% CI 3.40-14.92). When general practitioners assessed the influence of patients' life circumstances as 'poor' vs 'good', the amputation incidence increased (hazard ratio 2.97, 95% CI 1.22-7.24). 'Poor' vs 'very good' patient motivation was also associated with a higher amputation incidence (hazard ratio 7.57, 95% CI 2.43-23.57), although not in fully adjusted models. CONCLUSIONS: General practitioners' existing knowledge of patients' life circumstances, motivation and effort in diabetes management should be included in treatment strategies to prevent foot complications.

Importance of factors determining the low health-related quality of life in people presenting with a diabetic foot ulcer: the Eurodiale study.

AIM: To identify the factors responsible for the low health-related quality of life associated with foot ulcers and the relative importance of these factors. METHODS: A total of 1232 patients with a new foot ulcer, who presented at one of the 14 centres in 10 European countries participating in the Eurodiale study, were included in this cross-sectional study. Patient and ulcer characteristics were obtained as well as results from the Euro-Qol-5D questionnaire, a health-related quality of life instrument with five domains (mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression). To analyse the relative importance of comorbidities and ulcer- and patient-related factors for health-related quality of life, linear regression models were used to calculate the relative contributions of each factor to the fit (R(2) ) of the model. RESULTS: Patients reported poor overall health-related quality of life, with problems primarily in the mobility and pain/discomfort domains. Among the comorbidities, the inability to stand or walk without help was the most important determinant of decreased health-related quality of life in all five domains. Among ulcer-related factors, ulcer size, limb-threatening ischaemia and elevated C-reactive protein concentration also had high importance in all domains. The clinical diagnosis of infection, peripheral arterial disease and polyneuropathy were only important in the pain/discomfort domain. CONCLUSIONS: The factors that determine health-related quality of life are diverse and to an extent not disease-specific. To improve health-related quality of life, treatment should not only be focused on ulcer healing but a multifactorial approach by a specialized multidisciplinary team is also important.

Amputations and foot ulcers in patients newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus and observed for 19 years. The role of age, gender and co-morbidity.

AIMS: To determine the prevalence of foot ulcers and the incidence of amputations in patients with Type 2 diabetes observed for 19 years after diagnosis. We investigated the role of gender, age and co-morbidities. METHODS: From the Diabetes Care in General Practice study, 1381 patients were included and examined at diabetes diagnosis, at 6 years and at 14 years after diagnosis. Register-based follow-up was for 19 years. Foot ulcers and amputations were related to gender, age and co-morbidities by odds and hazard ratios from logistic and Cox regression models, respectively. RESULTS: The incidence of any amputation and major amputation was 400 (95% CI 307-512) and 279 (95% CI 203-375) per 100,000 patient-years, respectively. At the three observation points, the foot ulcer prevalences were 2.76% (95% CI 1.89-3.63), 2.93% (95% CI 1.86-4.00) and 4.96% (95% CI 3.10-6.82). Multivariate analyses showed associations between foot ulcers and peripheral neuropathy, peripheral arterial disease, male gender, retinopathy and myocardial infarction. After multivariate adjustment, significant predictors (hazard ratio; 95% CI) of any amputation were peripheral neuropathy (hazard ratio 2.09; 95% CI 1.19-3.69), peripheral arterial disease (hazard ratio 3.43; 95% CI 1.65-7.12), microalbuminuria (hazard ratio 2.11; 95% CI 1.21-3.67), retinopathy (hazard ratio 6.42; 95% CI 2.59-15.90), impaired vision (hazard ratio 6.92; 95% CI 2.35-20.38) and male gender (hazard ratio 2.40; 95% CI 1.31-4.41). For women, the risk of amputation increased with age, but for men the risk was higher when diagnosed with diabetes at a younger age. CONCLUSIONS: Despite improved treatment regimens, the incidence of amputations is still high in this population-based patient sample. Men diagnosed with diabetes before age 65 years and patients with diabetes-related co-morbidities are at particularly high risk of foot ulcers and amputations.

Differences in minor amputation rate in diabetic foot disease throughout Europe are in part explained by differences in disease severity at presentation.

OBJECTIVES: The incidence of minor amputation may vary significantly, and determinants of minor amputation have not been studied systematically. We evaluated minor amputation rate, the determinants of minor amputation and differences in amputation rate between European centres. METHODS: In the Eurodiale study, a prospective cohort study of 1232 patients (1088 followed until end-point) with a new diabetic foot ulcer were followed on a monthly basis until healing, death, major amputation or up to a maximum of 1 year. Ulcers were treated according to international guidelines. Baseline characteristics independently associated with minor amputation were examined using multiple logistic regression modelling. Based on the results of the multivariable analysis, a disease severity score was calculated for each patient. RESULTS: One hundred and ninety-four (18%) patients underwent a minor amputation. Predictors of minor amputation were depth of the ulcer (odds ratio 6.08, confidence interval 4.10-9.03), peripheral arterial disease (odds ratio 1.84, confidence interval 1.30-2.60), infection (odds ratio 1.56, confidence interval 1.05-2.30) and male sex (odds ratio 1.42, confidence interval 0.99-2.04). Minor amputation rate varied between 2.4 and 34% in the centres. Minor amputation rate in centres correlated strongly with disease severity score at the moment of presentation to the foot clinic (r=0.75). CONCLUSIONS: Minor amputation is performed frequently in diabetic foot centres throughout Europe and is determined by depth of the ulcer, peripheral arterial disease, infection and male sex. There are important differences in amputation rate between the European centres, which can be explained in part by severity of disease at presentation. This may suggest that early referral to foot clinics can prevent minor amputations.

Resource utilisation and costs associated with the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers. Prospective data from the Eurodiale Study.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: The aim of the present study was to investigate resource utilisation and associated costs in patients with diabetic foot ulcers and to analyse differences in resource utilisation between individuals with or without peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and/or infection. METHODS: Data on resource utilisation were collected prospectively in a European multicentre study. Data on 1,088 patients were available for the analysis of resource use, and data on 821 patients were included in the costing analysis. Costs were calculated for each patient by multiplying the country-specific direct and indirect unit costs by the number of resources used from inclusion into the study up to a defined endpoint. Country-specific costs were converted into purchasing power standards. RESULTS: Resource use and costs varied between outcome groups and between disease severity groups. The highest costs per patient were for hospitalisation, antibiotics, amputations and other surgery. All types of resource utilisation and costs increased with the severity of disease. The total cost per patient was more than four times higher for patients with infection and PAD at inclusion than for patients in the least severe group, who had neither. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: Important differences in resource use and costs were found between different patient groups. The costs are highest for individuals with both peripheral arterial disease and infection, and these are mainly related to substantial costs for hospitalisation. In view of the magnitude of the costs associated with in-hospital stay, reducing the number and duration of hospital admissions seems an attractive option to decrease costs in diabetic foot disease.

Delivery of care to diabetic patients with foot ulcers in daily practice: results of the Eurodiale Study, a prospective cohort study.

AIMS: To determine current management and to identify patient-related factors and barriers that influence management strategies in diabetic foot disease. METHODS: The Eurodiale Study is a prospective cohort study of 1232 consecutive individuals presenting with a new diabetic foot ulcer in 14 centres across Europe. We determined the use of management strategies: referral, use of offloading, vascular imaging and revascularization. RESULTS: Twenty-seven percent of the patients had been treated for > 3 months before referral to a foot clinic. This varied considerably between countries (6-55%). At study entry, 77% of the patients had no or inadequate offloading. During follow-up, casting was used in 35% (0-68%) of the plantar fore- or midfoot ulcers. Predictors of use of casting were male gender, large ulcer size and being employed. Vascular imaging was performed in 56% (14-86%) of patients with severe limb ischaemia; revascularization was performed in 43%. Predictors of use of vascular imaging were the presence of infection and ischaemic rest pain. CONCLUSION: Treatment of many patients is not in line with current guidelines and there are large differences between countries and centres. Our data suggest that current guidelines are too general and that healthcare organizational barriers and personal beliefs result in underuse of recommended therapies. Action should be undertaken to overcome these barriers and to guarantee the delivery of optimal care for the many individuals with diabetic foot disease.

Exostectomy for chronic midfoot plantar ulcer in Charcot deformity.

Charcot midfoot ulcers are rare and very difficult to heal, with surgery being an option. This retrospective study assessed healing rates, complications, and the incidence of re-ulceration and other foot ulcer problems following exostectomies

Prediction of outcome in individuals with diabetic foot ulcers: focus on the differences between individuals with and without peripheral arterial disease. The EURODIALE Study.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Outcome data on individuals with diabetic foot ulcers are scarce, especially in those with peripheral arterial disease (PAD). We therefore examined the clinical characteristics that best predict poor outcome in a large population of diabetic foot ulcer patients and examined whether such predictors differ between patients with and without PAD. METHODS: Analyses were conducted within the EURODIALE Study, a prospective cohort study of 1,088 diabetic foot ulcer patients across 14 centres in Europe. Multiple logistic regression modelling was used to identify independent predictors of outcome (i.e. non-healing of the foot ulcer). RESULTS: After 1 year of follow-up, 23% of the patients had not healed. Independent baseline predictors of non-healing in the whole study population were older age, male sex, heart failure, the inability to stand or walk without help, end-stage renal disease, larger ulcer size, peripheral neuropathy and PAD. When analyses were performed according to PAD status, infection emerged as a specific predictor of non-healing in PAD patients only. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: Predictors of healing differ between patients with and without PAD, suggesting that diabetic foot ulcers with or without concomitant PAD should be defined as two separate disease states. The observed negative impact of infection on healing that was confined to patients with PAD needs further investigation.

High prevalence of ischaemia, infection and serious comorbidity in patients with diabetic foot disease in Europe. Baseline results from the Eurodiale study.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Large clinical studies describing the typical clinical presentation of diabetic foot ulcers are limited and most studies were performed in single centres with the possibility of selection of specific subgroups. The aim of this study was to investigate the characteristics of diabetic patients with a foot ulcer in 14 European hospitals in ten countries. METHODS: The study population included 1,229 consecutive patients presenting with a new foot ulcer between 1 September 2003 and 1 October 2004. Standardised data on patient characteristics, as well as foot and ulcer characteristics, were obtained. Foot disease was categorised into four stages according to the presence or absence of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and infection: A: PAD -, infection -; B: PAD -, infection +; C: PAD +, infection -; D: PAD +, infection +. RESULTS: PAD was diagnosed in 49% of the subjects, infection in 58%. The majority of ulcers (52%) were located on the non-plantar surface of the foot. With regard to severity, 24% had stage A, 27% had stage B, 18% had stage C and 31% had stage D foot disease. Patients in the latter group had a distinct profile: they were older, had more non-plantar ulcers, greater tissue loss and more serious comorbidity. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: According to our results in this European cohort, the severity of diabetic foot ulcers at presentation is greater than previously reported, as one-third had both PAD and infection. Non-plantar foot ulcers were more common than plantar ulcers, especially in patients with severe disease, and serious comorbidity increased significantly with increasing severity of foot disease. Further research is needed to obtain insight into the clinical outcome of these patients.

Statistical analysis of multimode weakly nonlinear Rayleigh-Taylor instability in the presence of surface tension.

A weakly nonlinear model is proposed for the Rayleigh-Taylor instability in the presence of surface tension. The dynamics of a multimode perturbation of the interface between two incompressible, inviscid, irrotational, and immiscible fluids is analyzed. The quadratic and cubic nonlinear effects are taken into account. They include the nonlinear corrections to the exponential growths of the fundamental modulations. The role of the initial modulation spectrum is discussed. A saturation criterion in terms of the product of a local rms and a particular wave number is exhibited. It gives theoretical foundations for numerical conjectures and allows one to analyze the effects of fundamental parameters of the problem such as the dimension or the Atwood number.

Does the pattern of venous insufficiency influence healing of venous leg ulcers after skin transplantation?

AIMS: this study aimed to investigate the influence of venous insufficiency on results in venous leg ulcers treated with ulcer excision, meshed split-skin transplantation and correction of superficial venous insufficiency in the wound area. DESIGN: retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Copenhagen Wound Healing Center. METHODS: in 113 patients with venous leg ulceration, examined preoperatively with colour Duplex scanning (CDS), prognostic factors of healing and recurrence within 1 year were analysed using logistic regression. RESULTS: cumulative 1-year healing rate was 65% (73 patients) and 13 (12%) had recurrence of ulceration 1 year postoperatively. Initial ulcer size (OR: 0.97(95% CI: 0.96-0.99)), minor local superficial venous surgery (OR: 2.38 (95% CI: 1.04-5.46)), sufficient popliteal vein (2.97 (1.05-8.42)) and non-compliance with compression therapy (OR: 0.27 (95% CI: 0.11-0.71)) influenced the prognosis of healing positively. No statistically significant differences in healing and recurrence between patients with isolated superficial and mixed superficial/deep venous insufficiency was found. CONCLUSION: non-healing venous leg ulcers can be treated with ulcer excision, meshed split-skin transplantation and correction of superficial venous insufficiency in the wound area with beneficial results irrespective of underlying pattern of venous insufficiency as determined by CDS.

Nottingham health profile scores predict the outcome and support aggressive revascularisation for critical ischaemia.

AIMS: to assess changes in health related quality of life (HRQoL) following peripheral arterial reconstruction for critical limb ischaemia (CLI). METHODS: sixty patients with CLI were prospectively evaluated with the Nottingham Health Profile (NHP) before and 3 and 12 months after arterial reconstruction. In addition, at 12 months, patients were asked if their expectations of the revascularisation had been met and whether they considered the surgical treatment had been worthwhile. RESULTS: primary amputations and mortality were 5% and 3% and after 12 months 12% and 12% respectively. Three months after surgery scores on the pain and sleep sections of the NHP had improved significantly (p < 0.05). These improvements were maintained at 12 months. CONCLUSION: revascularisation for CLI improves HRQoL and pre-operative health perceptions are related to surgical outcome.

A new concept of a multidisciplinary wound healing center and a national expert function of wound healing.

HYPOTHESIS: An independent, multidisciplinary wound healing center in an accepted national expert function of wound healing is the optimal way to improve prophylaxis and treatment of patients with problem wounds. DESIGN: A clinical perspective analysis. SETTING: An independent, multidisciplinary wound healing center focusing on all types of problem wounds, organized as a university hospital department, and integrated in an expert function in the national health care organization of Denmark. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with all types of problem wounds referred to and treated in the center during the first years of its existence provided a model for a new multidisciplinary structure for treatment of wound patients in the health care system. RESULTS: During the first 3 years of the fully functioning wound healing center, a total of 23 802 patient consultations were performed in the outpatient clinic, and 1014 patients with problem wounds were hospitalized in the inpatient ward. The surgical concept of the center has resulted in improved healing rates in patients with leg ulcers and decreased rates of major amputations. The outpatient function has resulted in a decrease in the number of patients transported in beds to the center. This structure provides better opportunities for basic and clinical research as well as for establishing expert education for all types of health care personnel. The center's structure has been the background for establishing an expert function in wound healing, allowing the wound healing area area to be fully integrated in the Danish National Health Care System. Overall, the concept and structure of the center have enhanced the knowledge and understanding of wound problems and increased the status of wound healing and patient care. CONCLUSIONS: Establishing multidisciplinary centers integrated into an accepted national expert function of wound healing is an optimal way to improve the clinical outcome of prophylaxis and treatment of all types of problem wounds. This model, with minor adjustments, may be applicable for both industrialized and developing countries.

Incidence and management of ulcers in diabetic Charcot feet.

This study followed 115 patients with diabetes--who between them had 140 feet with Charcot's arthropathy--over six to 114 months (median: 48). A total of 43 patients (37%) developed ulcers in 53 feet. Their treatment was multifactorial. An offloading regimen was adopted, with the use of crutches and therapeutic sandals with soft, individually moulded insoles, followed by adjusted or bespoke shoes. Recalcitrant ulcers were treated with surgery in 16 patients (37%). Antibiotics were needed by 21 patients (49%). The incidence of ulceration was 17% per year. The median time interval between the acute component of Charcot's arthropathy and ulcer development was 36 months (range: 0-120 months). In seven patients, the ulcer developed during the acute phase. In 12 patients the ulcers were localised to the rockerbottom deformity in the mid-foot region, but in 31 patients other regions were affected. Dynamic footprint analysis was used to help adjust the offloading shoe/insole on the rockerbottom deformity. Such ulcers took twice as long to heal as other ulcers. Surgical treatment comprised: major amputation (two patients), arthrodesis for unstable ankle (three patients), toe amputations (seven patients), resection of the rockerbottom deformity (one patient) and other revisions (three patients). One patient died with an unhealed ulcer. There is a four-fold risk of ulcers in diabetic Charcot deformity compared with the overall risk of foot ulcers in diabetic feet. Healing was achieved in 40 patients (93%). The surgical intervention rate of 37% in ulcer cases in Charcot feet was low compared with the literature.

Decreasing incidence of major amputations in people with diabetes.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: To assess the results of the strategy used in avoiding major amputations in patients with diabetes mellitus. METHODS: A retrospective study for the years 1981 to 1995 in a central district hospital in Copenhagen with a catchment area population of about 178,000. RESULTS: There were 463 major leg amputations and the incidence decreased from 27.2 to 6.9/100,000 population (75%). The decrease in patients with Type I (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus was from 10.0 to 4.1 (59%) and in Type II (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus from 17.2 to 2.8/100,000 people (84%). Analysis showed that the diabetic population remained constant despite a considerable fall in the number of older people. During the study period infra-popliteal arterial bypass was introduced for the treatment of critical lower limb ischaemia and in diabetic patients the number of bypasses increased from zero to 13/100,000 population. The total number of revascularisation procedures in people with diabetes increased from 2.6 to 19.2/100,000 population. Moreover, a multidisciplinary diabetic foot clinic was established. CONCLUSION/INTERPRETATION: A 75% reduction in the incidence of major amputations coincided with a sevenfold increase in revascularization procedures and the establishment of a multidisciplinary diabetic foot clinic suggesting these measures are important in the prevention of diabetic leg amputations.

Long-term follow-up in diabetic Charcot feet with spontaneous onset.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the long-term results after Charcot breakdown with spontaneous onset in diabetic feet. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: This study was retrospective. A total of 115 patients (140 feet), 107 with acute deformity and 8 with chronic Charcot deformity, were followed for a median of 48 months (range 6-114). The routine treatment for acute cases was a weight-off regimen with crutches and foot protection with therapeutic shoes until skin temperature had normalized followed by increased weightbearing and the use of bespoke shoes or modification of conventional shoes. RESULTS: The incidence of Charcot deformity was 0.3%/year in the diabetic population investigated. About half of the patients were active in their jobs. Major complications were encountered in 5 (4%) of the patients that required surgical intervention: arthrodesis for unstable malaligned ankles in 3 subjects (1 bilaterally) and major amputation in 2 subjects for unstable ankle and pressure sores. Minor complications were recorded in 43% of subjects: new attacks of Charcot breakdown in 41 patients (36%) and/or foot ulceration in 43 patients (37%) that required minor surgical procedures for 11 patients. All healed except in 2 patients: 1 patient died before the Charcot fractures had healed, and 1 patient died with an unhealed ulcer. No patient lost the ability to walk independently. CONCLUSIONS: Major surgical procedures in only 4% were particularly related to patients with Charcot deformities in the ankle. Minor complications were recorded in about half of the patients. Lifelong foot care is required for diabetic patients with Charcot feet.