PURPOSE: The treatment of diabetic foot ulcers with total contact cast has been reported to be associated with numerous undesirable complications. This study shows that our technique of total contact casting that incorporates high concentration silver coated foam dressing. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-four diabetic foot ulcers were treated with total contact cast along with high concentration silver coated foam dressing. Complication and healing rates were evaluated. RESULTS: Eighty five percent of the ulcers healed within 6 weeks with an overall complication rate of 7%. There were only two cases (5%) of infection and no recurrent ulceration and no another site new pressure ulcer in our study. CONCLUSION: Total contact casting incorporates high concentration silver coated foam dressing resulted in fewer complications rate and healing rate that is comparable to other studies.
Bandages* ; Diabetic Foot* ; Pressure Ulcer ; Silver* ; Ulcer*

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of foot reflexologic massage on blood pressure and sleep of elderly with essential hypertension. METHOD: This study was employed non-equivalent control group pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design. The subjects were divided into two groups: 20 elders for experimental group and 18 elders for control group. For experimental group, foot reflexologic massage was done three times at three-day intervals. The data analyzed by SPSS version 10.0 program. RESULT: The systolic and diastolic blood pressure after foot reflexologic massage did not show a significant difference between the two groups. In experimental group, there was a significant difference in the systolic(t=3.559, p=.001) and the diastolic blood pressure(t= 3.048, p=.004) that measured after foot reflexologic massage. There was a significant difference(t=2.665, p=.011) in sleep between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that foot reflexologic massage was partially effective to reduce the degree of blood pressure and improve sleep of the elderly with essential hypertension. A follow up research is needed to compare and confirm its long-term effects.
Aged* ; Blood Pressure* ; Foot* ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Massage*

It is currently necessary to manage chronic ischemic foot gangrene because the rate of hospitalization and operations is increasing as a result of diet change and the growth of an aging population. Chronic ischemic foot gangrene is caused by Buerger`s disease, atherosclerosis and particularly, diabetes. In this study, we used the Wagner ischemic index with Doppler flowmeter and Wagner classification on 62 patients over 8 years from 1991 to 1998 as an index for treatment and prognosis. We measured the systolic pressure to determine the ischemic index, and according to Wagner the blood flow was inadequate in cases of diabetic foot gangrene and nondiabetic foot gangrene when it was below 0.45 and 0.35, respectively. According to the observation of clinical symptoms, we divided the cases by Wagner classification. Based on the above data, we performed conservative treatment, skin graft, local flap, superficial sural arterial island flap and amputation. We then followed up the patients and observed the treatment results. We concluded that the Wagner ischemic index with Doppler flowmeter and Wagner classification was useful in determining, selecting, and predicting the rate of survival or death as a result of amputation and graft when a surgical operation is performed.
Aging ; Amputation ; Atherosclerosis ; Blood Pressure ; Classification* ; Diabetic Foot ; Diet ; Flowmeters* ; Foot Ulcer* ; Foot* ; Gangrene ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Prognosis ; Skin ; Transplants

The plantar pressure and shear force measurement, the function and effect of joints, bones and ligaments of foot during running and walking, and the modeling and finite element analysis of human foot are three important aspects in biomechanical study of foot. They are also the basis of the study of rehabilitation. In this paper, studies on the three aspects are reviewed, and further promising developments are proposed.
Biomechanical Phenomena ; Diabetic Foot ; physiopathology ; Exercise ; physiology ; Finite Element Analysis ; Foot ; physiology ; Humans ; Pressure

Of all the complications of Hansen's disease that remain after the disease is arrested, and that prevent a return to normal well-beinglife, the destruction of the feet by foot ulcer is one of the commonest and most crippling, and is the one that can be prevented if early care & well treatment are taken. So many leprologists are interesting in the treatment of foot ulcer. Despite numerous advances, foot ulcers in Hansen's disease continue to be a treatment challenge. Recently a new subatmospheric pressure technique: vacuum assisted closure treatments of it are introduced. It entails placing an open-cell foam dressing into the wound cavity and applying a controlled subatmospheric pressure. Thirty nine foot ulcers were treated. About 74.4% of all were showed good results. The authors are reviewed & summarized about the results of the newly presenting treatment, vacuum assisted closure, of foot ulcers.
Bandages ; Foot Ulcer* ; Foot* ; Leprosy* ; Negative-Pressure Wound Therapy* ; Wounds and Injuries

Management of diabetic foot ulcer is a multi-disciplinary, time-consuming work. In order to obtain a proper recording, better communication, and fair comparative study, effective method of recording system for diabetic foot ulcer is required. Wagner classification and NPUAP (National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel) chronic ulcer staging are widely used but have a drawback that they only consider the depth of the ulcer. Authors devised a recording system for the diabetic foot ulcer and applied it to the patients to examine any problems associated with its use. From September 1999 to January 2001, diabetic foot ulcer recording form was applied to 92 patients with diabetic foot ulcer. The form has 8 fields of recording: date, location, depth, size, status of ulcer, status of margin, interval change, recorder. These fields are for recording itself, treatment plan, or prognostic value. The data were collected and analyzed in detail. Authors proposed criteria for the ideal recording system in the management of diabetic foot ulcer. In conclusion, the diabetic foot ulcer recording system proved to be highly efficient, simple and easy to document the ulcer. In addition, it could help surgeons decide the treatment plan and predict the outcome.
Classification ; Diabetic Foot* ; Humans ; Pressure Ulcer ; Ulcer* ; Wounds and Injuries*

PURPOSE: This research is to know whether aroma foot massage has influence on the relief of anxiety and pain during colonoscopy under conscious sedation. METHOD: This research was designed as a quasi-experiment of non-equivalent control group pretest-posttest. Data were collected from April 1 2005 to August 30 2005. The subjects were divided into three groups (control group, foot massage group and aroma foot massage group) with 30 persons each. Anxiety was evaluated with Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), blood pressure and pulse. Pain response was measured with VAS and non-verbal pain behavior score. Sleep satisfaction was measured with a graphic rating scale. Data were analyzed through Chi-square test, t-test and repeated measure ANOVA. RESULTS: Systolic blood pressure, pulse, subjective anxiety and pain scores from the aroma foot massage group decreased significantly. Sleep satisfaction score of the aroma foot massage group increased significantly. Diastolic blood pressure from the aroma foot massage group did not decrease. CONCLUSION: The results show that aroma foot massage with refined oils can increase sleep satisfaction and decrease anxiety and pain during colonoscopy under conscious sedation.
Anxiety* ; Blood Pressure ; Colonoscopy* ; Conscious Sedation* ; Foot* ; Humans ; Massage* ; Oils

The present paper is to study the center line of the plantar pressure of normal young people, and to find the relation between center line of the plantar pressure and gait stability and balance. The paper gives the testing principle and calculating methods for geometric center of plantar pressure distribution and the center of pressure due to the techniques of footprint frame. The calculating formulas in both x direction and y direction are also deduced in the paper. In the experiments carried out in our laboratory, the gait parameters of 131 young subjects walking as usual speed were acquired, and 14 young subjects of the total were specially analyzed. We then provided reference data for the walking gait database of young people, including time parameters, space parameters and plantar pressure parameters. We also obtained the line of geometry center and pressure center under the foot. We found that the differences existed in normal people's geometric center line and the pressure center line. The center of pressure trajectory revealed foot movement stability. The length and lateral changes of the center line of the plantar pressure could be applied to analysis of the plantar pressure of all kinds of people. The results in this paper are useful in clinical foot disease diagnosis and evaluation of surgical effect.
Foot ; physiology ; Gait ; Humans ; Pressure ; Reference Values ; Walking

The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of foot massage on the stress of student nurses in clinical practice. The research design was a nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design. The subjects of this study were 52 student nurses from three junior colleges and one university. The subjects were assigned to one of two groups:the experimental group(26 students), and the control group(26 students). The study was conducted from October to November 1999. For the experimental group the foot massage was performed once a day for 3 days, starting from the first day of clinical practice. Subjects' mood, fatigue, blood pressure and pulse rate were measured as dependent variables. The Instrument for mood and fatigue state was a 100mm visual analogue scale. For the experimental group pre and post tests were done just before and after every 3 foot massages and on the 7th clinical practice day. For the control group pretest was done on 1st clinical day and posttest was done on clinical practice 7th day. The data was analyzed by the t-test and paired t-test and the results are summarized as follows: 1. The mood state scores were significantly higher for the experimental group as compared to the control group after the foot massage(t=13.73, p<0.001). 2. The fatigue state scores were significantly lower for the experimental group as compared to the control group after the foot massage(t=8.69, p<0.001). 3. The systolic blood pressure was significantly different between the experimental group and the control group after the foot massage(t=3.0073, p<0.01). 4. The diastolic blood pressure was not significantly different between the experiment group and the control group after the foot massage. 5. The pulse rate was not significantly different between the experiment group and the control group after foot massage. 6. The mood state scores on the 1st, 2nd, 3rd massage day was significantly improved right after the foot massage. 7. The fatigue state scores on the 1st, 2nd, 3rd massage day were significantly lower right after the foot massage. 8. Systolic blood pressure on the 1st and 2nd massage day was significantly decreased right after the foot massage. Diastolic blood pressure and pulse rate were decreased right after massage but the change was not statistically significant. On the basis of the above findings, this study suggests that foot massage can be an effective stress relieving method for student nurses in clinical practice.
Blood Pressure ; Fatigue ; Foot* ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Massage* ; Research Design

Working in prolonged standing position among industrial workers has been shown to be associated with different potentially serious health outcomes, namely lower back pain, leg pain, fatigue, discomfort, and other health issues. Personalisation of insole offers a solution that will provide a perfect fit and comfort to the shoes wearer based on the ergonomic considerations. It works in a way that it alters the pressure away from painful areas by increasing the surface area that supports the weight of the body and evenly distributes it to the whole plantar area. Survey was conducted among workers at a manufacturing industry company to study on the level of pain experienced by them together with their foot anthropometry. Then, the foot pressure of each of the workers was collected by using pressure measurement device (F-scan). Combination of these data was used to design the customized insole that is fit for the worker. The personalised insoles were fabricated by using Additive Manufacturing technology. After that, the insoles were validated by using the F-scan and Electromyogram (EMG) to ensure their effectiveness in reducing pressures on the foot and muscle activity hence improving the comfort of the shoe wearer. At the end of the experiment, it was found that the insole is able to reduce the peak pressure of four out of five areas of the worker’s foot with the reduction of pressure percentage ranging from 6% to 28%.
Personalised insole ; additive manufacturing ; foot pressure ; muscle activity