Risk Factors Correlated with Plantar Pressure in Chinese Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

Abstract

Background:

Plantar pressure is a key factor for predicting ulceration in the foot of a diabetes patient.

Subjects and Methods:

We recruited a group of 100 Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes and an age-, sex-, weight-, and height-matched group of 100 Chinese subjects without diabetes. We obtained plantar pressure data using a Footscan^® gait system (RsScan International, Olen, Belgium) when the subjects with and without diabetes walked barefoot across a sensor platform. We recorded the maximum force, maximum pressure, impulse, pressure–time integral, and loading rate from 10 regions of the foot. We collected the data of 11 history-based variables, 10 anthropometric variables, and three metabolic variables regarding the clinical characteristics of the diabetes patients.

Results:

Weight was identified as a determining factor for high plantar pressure. Height, the Neuropathy Symptom Score (NSS), and ankle-brachial index (ABI) were correlated positively with plantar pressure measurements, respectively. The sex, history of ulcer and callus, intima-media membrane of the lower limb blood vessels, and fasting blood glucose (FBG) could also explain a portion of the variability of the plantar pressure measurements. However, the correlations were low or weak.

Conclusions:

High plantar pressure in diabetes patients could be predicted, in part, based on weight, height, NSS, ABI, sex, history of ulcer and callus, intima-media membrane of the lower limb blood vessels, and FBG. Therefore, interventions should be taken specifically before high plantar pressure emerges.