Pedorthic management of the diabetic foot.

Foot ulceration in diabetic patients is a resource-consuming, disabling morbidity that often is the first step in the downward spiral to lower extremity amputation. The best treatment is prevention. Prevention of foot ulcers requires a coordinated program of foot-specific patient education, prophylactic skin and nail care, and protective footwear. The goal of prescription footwear is to keep individuals ambulatory, while protecting them from ulcer formation. The complexity of pedorthic prescription increases with decreasing protective sensation and increasing structural deformity of the foot and ankle. Prescription footwear accommodates deformity, while decreasing pressure and shear forces applied to skin overlying bone prominences.