Diabetic Foot Care & Wound Management

Understanding Diabetic Foot Disease

Diabetes mellitus creates a uniquely hostile environment for the feet through three interconnected mechanisms: peripheral neuropathy (loss of protective sensation), peripheral arterial disease (compromised blood flow and healing capacity), and immune dysfunction (impaired response to infection). When protective sensation is lost, patients cannot feel pressure sores, blisters, or early wounds — minor injuries that a healthy patient would notice and address go undetected until they have progressed to ulceration or deep infection.

The consequences are severe: diabetic foot ulcers are the leading cause of non-traumatic lower-extremity amputations worldwide, with up to 85% of amputations preceded by a foot ulcer.^[1] Yet research consistently demonstrates that the vast majority of these amputations are preventable through structured preventive care — regular foot examination, appropriate footwear, custom accommodative orthotics to redistribute plantar pressures, patient education, and early wound management.^[2] The key is proactive intervention before the first ulcer, not reactive care after.

At EvenKeel, Dr. Santopietro provides comprehensive diabetic foot care including thorough annual examinations with vascular and neurological screening, custom orthotics, callus and nail management, and immediate evaluation of any wound or change in foot status. The goal is to keep every diabetic patient ambulatory, ulcer-free, and informed.