Diabetic Foot Ulcer.

Diabetic foot ulcers occur as a result of various factors, such as mechanical changes in conformation of the bony architecture of the foot, peripheral neuropathy, and atherosclerotic peripheral arterial disease, all of which occur with higher frequency and intensity in the diabetic population. Diabetic foot lesions are responsible for more hospitalizations than any other complication of diabetes. Among patients with diabetes, 15% develop a foot ulcer, and 12%-24% of individuals with a foot ulcer require amputation. Diabetes is the leading cause of nontraumatic lower-extremity amputations in the United States.