Guidelines on offloading foot ulcers in persons with diabetes (IWGDF 2023 update).

AIMS: Offloading mechanical tissue stress is arguably the most important of multiple interventions needed to heal diabetes-related foot ulcers. This is the 2023 International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot (IWGDF) evidence-based guideline on offloading interventions to promote healing of foot ulcers in persons with diabetes. It serves as an update of the 2019 IWGDF guideline. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We followed the GRADE approach by devising clinical questions and important outcomes in the PICO (Patient-Intervention-Control-Outcome) format, undertaking a systematic review and meta-analyses, developing summary of judgement tables and writing recommendations and rationales for each question. Each recommendation is based on the evidence found in the systematic review, expert opinion where evidence was not available, and a careful weighing of GRADE summary of judgement items including desirable and undesirable effects, certainty of evidence, patient values, resources required, cost effectiveness, equity, feasibility, and acceptability. RESULTS: For healing a neuropathic plantar forefoot or midfoot ulcer in a person with diabetes, use a non-removable knee-high offloading device as the first-choice offloading intervention. If contraindications or patient intolerance to non-removable offloading exist, consider using a removable knee-high or ankle-high offloading device as the second-choice offloading intervention. If no offloading devices are available, consider using appropriately fitting footwear combined with felted foam as the third-choice offloading intervention. If such a non-surgical offloading treatment fails to heal a plantar forefoot ulcer, consider an Achilles tendon lengthening, metatarsal head resection, joint arthroplasty, or metatarsal osteotomy. For healing a neuropathic plantar or apex lesser digit ulcer secondary to flexibile toe deformity, use digital flexor tendon tenotomy. For healing rearfoot, non-plantar or ulcers complicated with infection or ischaemia, further recommendations have been outlined. All recommendations have been summarised in an offloading clinical pathway to help facilitate the implementation of this guideline into clinical practice. CONCLUSION: These offloading guideline recommendations should help healthcare professionals provide the best care and outcomes for persons with diabetes-related foot ulcers and reduce the person's risk of infection, hospitalisation and amputation.

Clinical guidelines recommending prosthetics and orthotics in Sweden: Agreement between national and regional guidelines.

BACKGROUND: Despite the presence of both national and regional clinical practical guidelines (CPGs) in Sweden, no previous studies have investigated the quality of CPGs or the level of agreement between national and regional CPGs. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to assess the quality of national CPGs recommending prosthetics and orthotics (P&O) and quantify the agreement between national and regional CPGs in Sweden. STUDY DESIGN: Literature Review. METHODS: National and regional CPGs were identified in public databases and by surveyed local nurse practitioners. Quality of the national guidelines was assessed by using AGREE II. Agreement between recommendations in the national and regional CPGs was quantified on a 4-grade rating scale ("similar," "partially similar," "not similar/not present," and "different"). RESULTS: Of 18 national CPGs, 3 CPGs (CPGs of Diabetes, Musculoskeletal disorders, and Stroke) had 9 recommendations related to P&O. The Musculoskeletal disorders and Stroke CPGs had quality scores .60% in all domains, and the Diabetes CPG had scores .60% in 5 of 6 domains according to AGREE II. Seven regional CPGs for P&O treatment were identified. Three national recommendations (in Diabetes CPGs) showed "similar" content for all regions, and 2 national recommendations (in Diabetes CPGs) showed "not similar" content for all regions. The remaining recommendations (Diabetes, Musculoskeletal disorders, and Stroke CPGs) had varying agreement with regional CPGs. CONCLUSIONS: There is a limited number of national recommendations for treatment within P&O. There was variation in the agreement of P&O-related recommendations in national and regional CPGs, which might lead to unequal care throughout the national healthcare system.

Fragile Feet and Trivial Trauma: Communicating the Etiology of Diabetic Foot Ulcers to Patients.

People at risk for diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) often misunderstand why foot ulcers develop and what self-care strategies may help prevent them. The etiology of DFU is complex and difficult to communicate to patients, which may hinder effective self-care. Thus, we propose a simplified model of DFU etiology and prevention to aid communication with patients. The Fragile Feet & Trivial Trauma model focuses on two broad sets of risk factors: predisposing and precipitating. Predisposing risk factors (eg, neuropathy, angiopathy, and foot deformity) are usually lifelong and result in "fragile feet." Precipitating risk factors are usually different forms of everyday trauma (eg, mechanical, thermal, and chemical) and can be summarized as "trivial trauma." We suggest that the clinician consider discussing this model with their patient in three steps: 1) explain how a patient's specific predisposing risk factors result in fragile feet for the rest of life, 2) explain how specific risk factors in a patient's environment can be the trivial trauma that triggers development of a DFU, and 3) discuss and agree on with the patient measures to reduce the fragility of the feet (eg, vascular surgery) and prevent trivial trauma (eg, wear therapeutic footwear). By this, the model supports the communication of two essential messages: that patients may have a lifelong risk of ulceration but that there are health-care interventions and self-care practices that can reduce these risks. The Fragile Feet & Trivial Trauma model is a promising tool for aiding communication of foot ulcer etiology to patients. Future studies should investigate whether using the model results in improved patient understanding and self-care and, in turn, contributes to lower ulceration rates.

Adherence and Wearing Time of Prescribed Footwear among People at Risk of Diabetes-Related Foot Ulcers: Which Measure to Use?

Adherence to prescribed footwear is essential to prevent diabetes-related foot ulcers. The aim was to compare different measures of adherence and wearing time of prescribed footwear with a reference adherence measure, among people with diabetes at high risk of foot ulceration. We followed 53 participants for 7 consecutive days. A temperature sensor measured wearing time of prescribed footwear and a triaxial accelerometer assessed weight-bearing activities. Subjective wearing time was self-reported. Reference adherence measure was proportion of weight-bearing time prescribed footwear was worn. We calculated Spearman's correlation coefficients, kappa coefficients, and areas under the curve (AUC) for the association between the reference measure and other measures of adherence and wearing time. Proportion of daily steps with prescribed footwear worn had a very strong association (r = 0.96, Κ = 0.93; AUC: 0.96-1.00), objective wearing time had a strong association (r = 0.91, Κ = 0.85, AUC: 0.89-0.99), and subjective wearing time had a weak association (r = 0.42, Κ = 0.38, AUC: 0.67-0.81) with the reference measure. Objectively measured proportion of daily steps with prescribed footwear is a valid measure of footwear adherence. Objective wearing time is reasonably valid, and may be used in clinical practice and for long-term measurements. Subjective wearing time is not recommended to be used.

Offloading of diabetes-related neuropathic foot ulcers at Swedish prosthetic and orthotic clinics.

AIMS: This study aimed to assess (1) the use of different offloading interventions in Sweden for the healing of diabetes-related plantar neuropathic forefoot ulcers, (2) factors influencing the offloading intervention choice, and (3) the awareness of current gold standard offloading devices. METHODS: An online questionnaire was distributed via SurveyMonkey to 51 prosthetic and orthotic clinics in Sweden. RESULTS: Thirty-five (69%) practitioners responded to the questionnaire. Eighty-six percent of the practitioners provided modified off-the-shelf footwear combined with insoles to treat diabetes-related plantar neuropathic forefoot ulcers. A total contact cast (TCC) was provided by 20% of the practitioners, and a nonremovable knee-high walker was provided by 0%. Multiple practitioner-, patient-, intervention-, and wound-related factors were considered when practitioners provided offloading interventions to patients with this type of ulcer. The majority of the practitioners did not or were unsure whether they considered TCC or a nonremovable knee-high walker to be the gold standard treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Practitioners mainly provided the offloading intervention that the International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot strongly recommends not be provided, namely, modified off-the-shelf footwear with insoles. In contrast, TCC and nonremovable knee-high walkers, as the gold standards, were vastly underutilised. Therefore, the pattern of providing offloading interventions was almost exactly opposite to the recommendations of evidence-based guidelines. Different factors were considered when providing offloading interventions to patients with diabetes-related plantar neuropathic forefoot ulcers. The practitioners' lack of awareness regarding gold standard devices may have contributed to the underutilisation of TCC and nonremovable knee-high walkers.

Personalized Offloading Treatments for Healing Plantar Diabetic Foot Ulcers.

BACKGROUND: Non-removable knee-high devices are the gold-standard offloading treatments to heal plantar diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs). These devices are underused in practice for a variety of reasons. Recommending these devices for all patients, regardless of their circumstances and preferences influencing their ability to tolerate the devices, does not seem a fruitful approach. PURPOSE: The aim of this article is to explore the potential implications of a more personalized approach to offloading DFUs and suggest avenues for future research and development. METHODS: Non-removable knee-high devices effectively heal plantar DFUs by reducing plantar pressure and shear at the DFU, reducing weight-bearing activity and enforcing high adherence. We propose that future offloading devices should be developed that aim to optimize these mechanisms according to each individual's needs. We suggest three different approaches may be developed to achieve such personalized offloading treatment. First, we suggest modular devices, where different mechanical features (rocker-bottom sole, knee-high cast walls/struts, etc.) can be added or removed from the device to accommodate different patients' needs and the evolving needs of the patient throughout the treatment period. Second, advanced manufacturing techniques and novel materials could be used to personalize the design of their devices, thereby improving common hindrances to their use, such as devices being heavy, bulky, and hot. Third, sensors could be used to provide real-time feedback to patients and clinicians on plantar pressures, shear, weight-bearing activity, and adherence. CONCLUSIONS: By the use of these approaches, we could provide patients with personalized devices to optimize plantar tissue stress, thereby improving clinical outcomes.

Validity and test-retest reliability of the Ugandan version of the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI-UG) in children and youth with cerebral palsy.

BACKGROUND: Validity of the Ugandan version of the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI-UG) was previously investigated on typically developing children. This study aimed to investigate the validity, test-retest reliability and minimal detectable change (MDC) of the PEDI-UG in children and youth (C&Y) with cerebral palsy (CP). METHOD: A cross-sectional study design with 118 C&Y with CP (44.7% girls) aged 10 months-22.5 years were included in the study; 37 of them completed the PEDI-UG twice to investigate test-retest reliability, determined by calculating the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Additionally, data from 249 typically developing children were used for differential item functioning (DIF) analysis. The validity of the PEDI-UG was investigated by Rasch analysis. The Kruskal-Wallis test and Spearman's correlation coefficient were calculated to investigate associations between PEDI-UG scores and external classification systems. RESULTS: The principal component analysis of residuals indicated unidimensionality in all domains. The ICC values were excellent (0.98-0.99), and the MDCs were less than 6 and 13 (on a 0-100 scale) for the functional skills and caregiver assistance parts, respectively. The four-category caregiver assistance rating scale fulfilled the criteria for the analysis of rating scale functioning. In total, 78 of 189 items in the functional skills domain and two items in the caregiver assistance domain demonstrated DIF between C&Y with CP and TD children. The Kruskal-Wallis test (p < 0.05) and Spearman's correlation (coefficients of -0.93 to -0.78) supported the validity of PEDI-UG. CONCLUSION: The current diagnose-specific version of PEDI-UG demonstrates evidence for validity as a measure of ability in C&Y with CP in Uganda and other similar settings, being a promising tool for use in clinical practice and research. Conversion tables and MDC values are provided to facilitate clinical adoption of the measure.

Experiences of using a digital tool, the D-foot, in the screening of risk factors for diabetic foot ulcers.

BACKGROUND: Individuals living with diabetes run an increased risk of developing diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs), leading to high costs to society and reduced quality of life for the individual. Regular screening is important to avoid complications. AIM: To evaluate patients' and clinicians' experiences of using a digital tool, the D-Foot, in the screening of risk factors for developing DFUs. The secondary aims were to investigate whether patients had had their feet examined by a nurse or doctor during the past year, had been referred to podiatry and whether patients had received information about self-care. METHODS: A prospective study was carried out, comprising 90 patients with diabetes visiting a Department of Prosthetics and Orthotics (DPO). Two Certified Prosthetists and Orthotists (CPOs) were included, and they assessed foot status and the risk of developing DFUs with the D-Foot software, prior to prescribing footwear. The quality of services at the DPO was assessed by the patients using the Orthotics and Prosthetics Users' Survey (OPUS). The CPOs answered the System Usability Scale (SUS) before and after the study to assess the usability of the D-Foot. RESULTS: No patient had risk grade 1. One (1%) patient had risk grade 2, 78 (87%) patients had risk grade 3 and 11 (12%) patients had risk grade 4. Patients reported high levels of satisfaction on eight of ten OPUS items and the two items with lower scores were not related to the use of the D-Foot. The two CPOs reported levels above the mean regarding usability both before (77.5 and 90) and after (70 and 97.5) using the D-Foot. CONCLUSIONS: Patients expressed a high level of satisfaction with the services when their feet were examined with the D-Foot prior to the provision of footwear. The CPOs found that the D-Foot system was usable. Several comments were made by patients and CPOs and will support the future development and testing of the D-Foot. There is a need to increase referrals for preventive podiatry and improve information on self-care for patients at risk of DFUs. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT04054804.

Health care workers' need for support from managers during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic placed great pressure on health care workers and increased the risk of these workers developing mental illness. Effective leadership is essential to prevent mental illness from developing. The study aim was to investigate health care workers' perceptions of the support given by their managers, their need for such support, and their levels of anxiety during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: An electronic study-specific questionnaire was sent to health care workers. A convergent mixed-methods design was used, in which data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, t-tests, and qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: The majority of the 1074 participants experienced support from a manager who was physically present, caring, and sensitive to their needs, who provided information, and listened to their opinions. Those who did not receive this support experienced more anxiety, and the majority of them expressed a need for this support. A minority of the participants had a manager who scheduled reflection time; few asked for this support, and it was not found to be associated with lower anxiety levels. The qualitative analysis resulted in four themes: 1) A physically present and responsive manager who provides support based on the workers' needs, 2) The workers understand their manager's tough work situation and lack of resources, 3) There is a need for clear dissemination of information and participation in organizing the work, and 4) The care of patients is carried out with good cooperation. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of the health care workers received adequate support from their managers. A manager has to be physically present, caring, and supportive to meet the workers' needs and potentially reduce anxiety levels.

Contribution of participation and resilience to quality of life among persons living with stroke in Sweden: a qualitative study.

PURPOSE: Resilience contributes to positive adaptation after many health conditions, but little is known about its contribution to long-term recovery after stroke. This study investigated the lived experience of resilience and participation and their relationship to quality of life after stroke in Sweden. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with 19 informants (10 male, 9 female), aged from 44-89 years and between 1 and 19 years post-stroke. Stroke severity ranged from mild (n = 8), moderate (n = 9) to severe (n = 2). Interviews were analysed using content analysis. RESULTS: The analysis resulted in an overarching theme; Life with stroke has been adapted to but not accepted, built on five subthemes: 1) Adapting and adjusting life, 2) Meaningful values in life, 3) Inner resources, 4) Support and treatment from social relations, and 5) Support and treatment from external resources. CONCLUSION: Participants described a tension between adapting and accepting life after stroke. Resilience was a useful framework, highlighting the contribution of inner, social and societal resources to recovery and quality of life, both directly and as enhanced through increased participation. Important factors for adaptation are meaningful values in life, individual strategies for adaptation and support from both social relationship and the society.

Cross-cultural adaptation and reliability of the Arabic version of Children's Hand-use Experience Questionnaire (CHEQ).

Background: Validated outcome measures are essential for assessment and treatment of children with disabilities. The Children's Hand-use Experience Questionnaire (CHEQ) was developed and validated for use in Western countries for children with unilateral hand dysfunction. This study aimed to perform a cross-cultural adaptation and investigate reliability for the Arabic CHEQ. Methods: Translation and cross-cultural adaptation were performed in four phases: (i) forward-translation and reconciliation with feedback from parents and typically developing children from Jordan (n = 14); (ii) backward-translation and review; (iii) cognitive debriefing with parents and/or their children with unilateral hand dysfunction (n = 17); and (iv) review and proofreading. In the psychometric analyses, 161 children from Jordan (mean age [SD] 10y 8 m [5y 8 m]; 88 males) participated. Internal consistency was evaluated with Cronbach's alpha. Test-retest reliability was evaluated in 39 children with intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and weighted kappa (κ). Results: Synonyms of four words were added to accommodate for different Arabic dialects. On average, 93% of children with unilateral hand dysfunction and their parents understood the CHEQ items. One response alternative, 'Get help', to the opening question was unclear for 70% of the respondents and need further explanation. Two items about using a knife and fork were difficult to comprehend and culturally irrelevant. High internal consistency was demonstrated (Cronbach's alphas 0.94- 0.97) and moderate to excellent ICC (0.77-0.93). For 18 individual items, κ indicated poor to good agreement (κ between 0.28 and 0.66). Conclusions: After the suggested minor adjustments, the Arabic CHEQ will be comprehensible, culturally relevant and reliable for assessing children with unilateral hand dysfunction in Jordan.

Moral and exhausting distress working in the frontline of COVID-19: a Swedish survey during the first wave in four healthcare settings.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the prevalence and sources of experienced moral stress and anxiety by Swedish frontline healthcare staff in the early phase of COVID-19. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey, quantitative and qualitative. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: 1074 healthcare professionals (75% nurses) in intensive, ward-based, primary and municipal care in one Swedish county. MEASURES: A study-specific closed-ended and an open-ended questionnaire about moral stress and the Generalised Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale measuring anxiety, followed by an open question about anxiety. FINDINGS: Moral stress was experienced by 52% of respondents and anxiety by 40%. Moral stress in concern for others attributed to institutional constraints comprised experiences of being deprived of possibilities to respond to humane and professional responsibility. Staff experienced being restricted in fulfilling patients' and families' need for closeness and security as well as being compelled to provide substandard and inhumane care. Uncertainty about right and good, without blame, was also described. However, a burdensome guilt also emerged as a moral distress, blaming oneself. This comprised feeling complicit in the spread of COVID-19, inadequacy in care and carrying patients' suffering. Staff also experienced an exhausting distress as a self-concern in an uncontrollable work situation. This comprised a taxing insecurity by being in limbo, being alone and fear of failing, despair of being deprived control by not being heard; unable to influence; distrusting management; as well as an excessive workload. CONCLUSIONS: We have not only contributed with knowledge about experiences of being in the frontline of COVID-19, but also with an understanding of a demarcation between moral stress/distress as a concern for patients and family, and exhausting distress in work situation as self-concern. A lesson for management is that ethics support should first include acknowledgement of self-concern and mitigation of guilt before any structured ethical reflection. Preventive measures for major events should focus on connectedness between all parties concerned, preventing inhumane care and burn-out.

Editor's Choice - Incidence of Lower Limb Amputations in Sweden from 2008 to 2017.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the recent national and regional incidence of lower limb amputations (LLAs) in Sweden and their annual changes. METHODS: This was an observational study using Swedish national register data. All initial amputations were identified in Sweden from 2008 to 2017 in individuals 18 years or older using the national inpatient register. The amputations were categorised into three levels: high proximal (through or above the knee joint), low proximal (through the tibia to through the ankle joint), and partial foot amputations. To examine the national and regional incidence and annual changes, the age, sex, and region specific population count each year was used as the denominator and Poisson regression or negative binomial regression models were used to estimate incidence rate ratios (IRRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) adjusted for age and sex. RESULTS: The national annual incidence of LLAs was 22.1 per 100 000 inhabitants, with a higher incidence in men (24.2) than in women (20.0). The incidence of LLAs (all levels combined) declined during the study period, with an IRR of 0.984 per year (95% CI 0.973 - 0.994). This was mainly due to a decrease in high proximal amputations (0.985, 95% CI 0.974 - 0.995) and low proximal amputations (0.973, 95% CI 0.962 - 0.984). No change in the incidence of partial foot amputations was observed (0.994, 95% CI 0.974 - 1.014). Such declines in LLA incidence (all levels combined) were observed in nine of the 21 regions. Compared with the national average and with adjustment for age, sex, diabetes, and artery disease, the regional IRR varied from 0.85 to 1.36 for all LLAs, from 0.67 to 1.61 for high proximal amputations, from 0.50 to 1.51 for low proximal amputations, and from 0.13 to 3.68 for partial foot amputations. CONCLUSION: The incidence of LLAs has decreased in Sweden. However, regional variations in incidence, time trends, and amputation levels warrant further research.

Knee-High Devices Are Gold in Closing the Foot Ulcer Gap: A Review of Offloading Treatments to Heal Diabetic Foot Ulcers.

Diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) are a leading cause of the global disease burden. Most DFUs are caused, and prolonged, by high plantar tissue stress under the insensate foot of a person with peripheral neuropathy. Multiple different offloading treatments have been used to try to reduce high plantar tissue stress and heal DFUs, including bedrest, casting, offloading devices, footwear, and surgical procedures. The best offloading treatments are those that balance the benefits of maximizing reductions in high plantar tissue stress, whilst reducing the risks of poor satisfaction, high costs and potential adverse events outcomes. This review aimed to summarize the best available evidence on the effects of offloading treatments to heal people with DFUs, plus review their use in clinical practice, the common barriers and solutions to using these treatments, and discuss promising emerging solutions that may improve offloading treatments in future. Findings demonstrate that knee-high offloading devices, non-removable or removable knee-high devices worn for all weight-bearing activities, are the gold standard offloading treatments to heal most patients with DFU, as they are much more effective, and typically safer, quicker, and cheaper to use compared with other offloading treatments. The effectiveness of offloading treatments also seems to increase when increased offloading mechanical features are incorporated within treatments, including customized insoles, rocker-bottom soles, controlled ankle motion, and higher cast walls. However, in clinical practice these gold standard knee-high offloading devices have low rates of prescription by clinicians and low rates of acceptance or adherence by patients. The common barriers resulting in this low use seem to surround historical misperceptions that are mostly dispelled by contemporary evidence. Further, research is now urgently required to close the implementation gap between the high-quality of supporting evidence and the low use of knee-high devices in clinical practice to reduce the high global disease burden of DFU in future.

Comorbidity in Stroke-Survivors: Prevalence and Associations with Functional Outcomes and Health.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and impact of stroke-related comorbidity in a community-based sample of stroke survivors. We sought to find out which types of comorbidity that were most important with respect to the patients' functional outcomes and general health. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All stroke survivors (n = 330) living in a medium-sized Swedish municipality were included. Patient records were reviewed to determine the presence of comorbidities. A selection of patient reported outcomes were used to assess subjective symptoms, functional outcomes, and general health. Logistic regression models were used to investigate the association between comorbidities, residual symptoms, and subjective symptoms on the one hand, and functional outcomes and general health on the other hand. RESULTS: Hypertension (80%) was the most common cardiovascular risk factor. Ischemic heart disease was found in 18% and congestive heart failure in 10%. Of non-cardiovascular disorders, orthopaedic diseases were commonest (30%). Psychiatric disorders and cognitive impairment were present in 11% and 12% respectively. Hemiparesis is associated with both functional outcomes and general health. Additionally, orthopedic disorders, vertigo, cognitive impairment, nicotine use, chronic pulmonary disorders, and age, are associated with different functional outcomes. Psychiatric, orthopedic and neurological disorders are related to general health. The patient-reported outcome measure "feeling of tiredness" is important for many of the outcomes, while "feeling depressed" and "having pain" are associated with general health. CONCLUSIONS: Many medical conditions, several of which have received little attention so far, are associated with functional outcome and general health in stroke survivors. If the intention is to describe comorbidity relevant to function and general health in stroke patients, disorders that hitherto have received little attention, must be considered.

Should weight-bearing activity be reduced during healing of plantar diabetic foot ulcers, even when using appropriate offloading devices?

Physical activity is an essential part of general health and diabetes management. However, recommending weight-bearing physical activity for people with plantar diabetic foot ulcers is controversial, even when gold standard offloading devices are used, as it is commonly thought to delay healing. We aimed to narratively review relevant studies investigating the relationship between plantar diabetic foot ulcer healing and weight-bearing activity, plantar pressure and device adherence. We defined relevant studies as those from two systematic reviews, along with those identified since using a similar updated Pubmed search strategy. We identified six studies. One study found that more daily steps were associated with worse ulcer healing, three found no significant association between steps and ulcer healing, and in two others the association was unclear. Thus, there is weak evidence for an inverse relationship between weight-bearing physical activity and plantar ulcer healing while utilizing offloading devices. We propose a Diabetic foot Offloading and Activity framework to guide future research to find the optimal balance between the positive and negative effects of weight-bearing activity in the context of foot ulcers. We hope such future studies will shed more conclusive light on the impact of weight-bearing activity on healing of plantar diabetic foot ulcers.

A toolkit for prosthetists and orthotists to facilitate progress in professional communication over the next 50 years.

BACKGROUND: In this celebratory issue of Prosthetics and Orthotics International, we review professional communication skills in the field of prosthetics and orthotics. OBJECTIVE: We aim to reflect on communication skills in the past 50 years, to discuss developments in the coming 50 years, and to create a toolkit and research agenda to facilitate progress in professional communication in the next 50 years. RESULTS: Despite being a key area in prosthetics and orthotics training programmes, we found no studies on professional communication with an experimental design published in Prosthetics and Orthotics International. As an alternative, we provide clinical reflections on the changes in professional communication in the past 50 years, and we discuss questionnaire-based and qualitative studies that provide evidence for the importance of communication in pedorthic footwear provision. In the coming 50 years, professional communication in the field of prosthetics and orthotics may be impacted by aging populations, global mobility, information technology, technological advances and emphasis on prevention. We discuss each of these topics. To facilitate progress in professional communication, we have created a toolkit with resources for prosthetics and orthotics professionals, prosthetics and orthotics students and other interested professionals. CONCLUSIONS: We hope this toolkit will inspire others to use, extend and implement it in their daily practice. As a research agenda, we strongly recommend undertaking research on interventions to improve professional communication and to study its effect on clinically meaningful outcomes.

Predictors of adherence to wearing therapeutic footwear among people with diabetes.

AIMS: People at increased risk of developing diabetic foot ulcers often wear therapeutic footwear less frequently than is desirable. The aims were to identify patient groups prone to nonadherence to wearing therapeutic footwear and modifiable factors associated with adherence. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A questionnaire was mailed to 1230 people with diabetes who had been fitted with therapeutic footwear. Independent variables were categorized into five domains. For each domain, variables that were associated with adherence in a univariate regression analysis were entered into a multiple regression analysis. RESULTS: A total of 429 (34.9%) questionnaires were analyzed. Multiple regression analyses showed significant associations (p < 0.05) between higher adherence and paid employment, current foot ulcer, previous foot ulcer, satisfaction with follow-up, self-efficacy, understanding of lost/reduced sensation as a risk factor for foot ulcerations, visible storage of therapeutic footwear at home, storage of conventional footwear out of sight, consistent choices about which footwear type to wear, and a belief that therapeutic footwear promotes ulcer healing. The five multivariate models explained 2-28% of the variance in adherence, with the strategies for footwear use domain explaining the most. CONCLUSIONS: Patients without paid employment or without foot ulcer experience are more prone to nonadherence. To improve adherence, clinicians should advise patients to store therapeutic footwear in a visible place at home and put conventional footwear away and encourage patients' self-efficacy and habitual use of therapeutic footwear. Future studies should investigate this topic further and explore ways to promote changes in habits. A study limitation was that all variables were self-reported.

Comment on van Netten, et al: Definitions and criteria for diabetic foot disease.

OBJECTIVE: The International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot (IWGDF) recently published updated definitions for the diabetic foot field. However, the suggested definitions of lower limb amputations differ from the definitions of the International Organization of Standardization (ISO), which may create problems when implementing the definitions. This paper compares and discusses the amputation definitions of IWGDF and ISO. RESULTS: Despite many similarities, the IWGDF and ISO systems have some important differences. First, the IWGDF uses the term "minor amputation" which is value-laden, arbitrary and has been defined in several different ways in the literature. Second, the IWGDF system lacks descriptions of amputations distal or through the ankle, which may increase the risk for misclassification. Third, hip disarticulations and transpelvic amputations are not included in the IWGDF system. CONCLUSION: It is suggested that future updates of the IWGDF definitions should be aligned with those of ISO, to meet the goal of global consensus on terminology related to lower limb amputation.

Effectiveness of offloading interventions to heal foot ulcers in persons with diabetes: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Offloading interventions are commonly used in clinical practice to heal foot ulcers. The aim of this updated systematic review is to investigate the effectiveness of offloading interventions to heal diabetic foot ulcers. METHODS: We updated our previous systematic review search of PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases to also include original studies published between July 29, 2014 and August 13, 2018 relating to four offloading intervention categories in populations with diabetic foot ulcers: (a) offloading devices, (b) footwear, (c) other offloading techniques, and (d) surgical offloading techniques. Outcomes included ulcer healing, plantar pressure, ambulatory activity, adherence, adverse events, patient-reported measures, and cost-effectiveness. Included controlled studies were assessed for methodological quality and had key data extracted into evidence and risk of bias tables. Included non-controlled studies were summarised on a narrative basis. RESULTS: We identified 41 studies from our updated search for a total of 165 included studies. Six included studies were meta-analyses, 26 randomised controlled trials (RCTs), 13 other controlled studies, and 120 non-controlled studies. Five meta-analyses and 12 RCTs provided high-quality evidence for non-removable knee-high offloading devices being more effective than removable offloading devices and therapeutic footwear for healing plantar forefoot and midfoot ulcers. Total contact casts (TCCs) and non-removable knee-high walkers were shown to be equally effective. Moderate-quality evidence exists for removable knee-high and ankle-high offloading devices being equally effective in healing, but knee-high devices have a larger effect on reducing plantar pressure and ambulatory activity. Low-quality evidence exists for the use of felted foam and surgical offloading to promote healing of plantar forefoot and midfoot ulcers. Very limited evidence exists for the efficacy of any offloading intervention for healing plantar heel ulcers, non-plantar ulcers, and neuropathic ulcers with infection or ischemia. CONCLUSION: Strong evidence supports the use of non-removable knee-high offloading devices (either TCC or non-removable walker) as the first-choice offloading intervention for healing plantar neuropathic forefoot and midfoot ulcers. Removable offloading devices, either knee-high or ankle-high, are preferred as second choice over other offloading interventions. The evidence bases to support any other offloading intervention is still weak and more high-quality controlled studies are needed in these areas.