Foot debridement: anatomic knowledge is mandatory.

The foot is well adapted for its purpose. This is reflected by its special anatomical architecture, having a thickened epidermis, subcutaneous fatty pads and muscles arranged in compartments. In diabetic patients, metabolic changes and foot deformity can lead to high pressure zones resulting in a foot ulcer. If an ulcer gets infected, the oedema aggravates the underlying muscle compartment pressure, even leading to muscle necrosis. This explains why foot ulcers can lead to extensive tissue necrosis. For debridement, sound anatomical knowledge of the foot anatomy is mandatory. Copyright 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.