Can An Advanced Biological Dressing Heal A Diabetic Foot Wound

One of the most threatening situations that a diabetic can face is the formation of a diabetic foot ulcer. An ulcer or wound is a open sore of the skin and occurs beneath the foot in an area of high pressure. The pressure may cause callus buildup to form. Because of the unrelenting pressure coupled with the diminished healing ability caused by diabetes, the skin breaks down and a wound forms.

Someone who is not diabetic will feel pain long before the skin breaks down and an wound forms. Diabetes causes peripheral neuropathy, a numbing of the nerves in the feet. The diabetic peripheral neuropathy prevents the pain signals from being processed and therefore no warning is perceived before the diabetic foot ulcer develops. Adding insult to injury, people with diabetes have a reduced immune system and a foot wound is more prone to become infected. This puts the entire limb in danger, since infection can spread to the bone and travel up the leg.

For these reasons, it is vital to identify and get a diabetic foot wound to heal as quickly as possible. Every diabetic patient should have a relationship with a foot specialist before a problem occurs. Your podiatrist will consider a diabetic foot ulcer to be a medical emergency. The sooner a diabetic foot wound is identified and treated, the better chance it can be healed quickly and without complication.

There are a number of resources that a foot doctor will implement to manage and resolve a diabetic foot ulcer. There are a large number of gels, foams, and other healing dressings that are the first line of therapy. This is used in conjunction with some device to reduce or eliminate the pressure that caused the ulcer to form in the first place. The benchmark that is now used, based on the 2010 Consensus Study, is a 50% reduction of wound area within four weeks. If there is less than that, we must turn to an advanced biological dressing.

An advanced biological dressing is a bioengineered dermal substitute, not a skin graft, which is derived from human tissue. The dressing contains fibroblasts, which are cells responsible for healing wounds, within a matrix that fills in the ulder. The advanced biological dressing, which includes Dermagraft and Apligraf, are applied in the foot specialist's clinic and covered with a dressing that is left intact for up to one week. Different protocols are used by different doctors, but the dressing is reapplied every week or two until the wound is healed or until healing progress stops.

In the past, advanced biological dressings were used as therapy of last resort. That has changed. They are recognized to substantially speed healing of a diabetic foot ulcer. These dressings are covered by Medicare, Medicaid, and private health insurance. If it is not suggested by your podiatrist during treatment for a diabetic foot wound, be sure to ask or find another doctor who uses these advanced dressings.

85% of lower limb amputations are preceded by a diabetic foot wound. 15% of a diabetic foot ulcers lead to an amputation. Half of all diabetic foot wounds that remain unhealed lead to the death of the patient within five years. Do not become one of these statistics. When it comes to a diabetic foot ulcer, "almost healed" is not good enough. Visit your podiatrist and see what more can be done to heal your diabetic foot ulcer.


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Houston Podiatrist Dr. Andrew Schneider is a foot doctor dedicated to ensuring all diabetics keep their feet by healing diabetic foot ulcers. Visit his website for informative articles, frequently asked questions, and comprehensive video library