Assessment of the Foot Plantar Pressure in Type II Diabetic Patients with Mild Neuropathy

Patients with diabetic neuropathy lack pain sensation in their foot plantar surface and are susceptible to plantar ulcers. The objective of this study, in one way are the assessment of the foot plantar pressure in a group of type 2 diabetic patients with mild neuropathy and the comparison of their values with normal subjects and on the other way, the determination of the susceptible points of ulceration on plantar surface of these patients. In this cross sectional study, the foot plantar pressure assessed in 20 subjects who were selected based on judgmental sampling method and assigned in two 10-participant groups of diabetic and normal during walking using foot scan system in 10 different zones under the feet. Following measurement recording, independent T statistics used to compare the means of two groups. While the lowest foot plantar pressure located under the toes 2-5, the highest foot plantar pressure was under the third and then the fourth metatarsal heads. Although diabetic patients had higher foot plantar pressure than the normal subjects in eight foot zones, but their mean differences were not significant (Toe1: P=0.281, Toe2-5: P=0.122, Metatars1: P=0.459, Metatars2: P=0.920, Metatars3: P=0.461, Metatars4: P=0.419, Metatars5: P=0.130, Midfoot: P=0.172, Medial Heel: P=0.978, Lateral Heel: P=0.985). There was no significant difference in foot plantar pressure between diabetic patients and normal subjects probably because of mild severity of neuropathy and no existence of foot plantar ulcer in these patients. Also the third and fourth metatarsal heads had the highest ulceration susceptibility.