Anatomic Risk Factors for Diabetic Foot Ulceration

• Published in: Atlas of the Diabetic Foot pp. 23 - 47
• Main Authors: Eleftheriadou, Ioanna, Makrilakis, Konstantinos, Liatis, Stavros, Tentolouris, Anastasios, Tsapogas, Panagiotis, Kokkinos, Alexandros, Tentolouris, Nicholas
• Format: Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: United Kingdom John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated 2019; John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
• Subjects: bunion; bunionette; claw toe; foot ulceration; hallux valgus; hammer toe; pes planus
• ISBN: 9781119255239; 1119255236
• DOI: 10.1002/9781119255314.ch3

Pes planus is characterized by diminished longitudinal and transverse concavities of the foot. A bunion is an enlargement of bone or tissue around the first metatarsophalangeal joint, or a swollen bursal sac and/or osseous (bony) deformity that has grown on this joint. Hallux valgus is considered to be a medial deviation of the first metatarsal and a lateral deviation and/or rotation of the hallux, with or without medial soft tissue enlargement of the first metatarsal head. A bunionette is an acquired lesion of the lateral aspect of the fifth metatarsal head. Claw toe deformities may cause prominence of the metatarsal heads with subsequent callus formation and foot ulceration. Hammer toe is a complex deformity consisting of contraction of the proximal interphalangeal joint, while the metatarsophalangeal joint is either dorsiflexed or in a neutral position. Toe deformities are more common in people with diabetes due to muscle atrophy and limited joint mobility.