Surgery Versus Nonsurgical Methods in Treating Neuropathic Plantar Forefoot Ulcers: A Meta-Analysis of Comparative Studies

Abstract

The treatment of diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) is usually based on local debridement, topical agents, and nonsurgical off-loading. When compared with nonsurgical methods, a number of articles reported better results with surgery. The aim of this meta-analysis was to collate quantitative evidence on the outcomes of surgery versus nonsurgical treatment (NST) of DFUs. Databases were searched from inception to September 2019. PRISMA guidelines were followed, and the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tools were used to appraise studies’ quality. Nine studies were included totalizing 436 ulcers (216 treated with surgery and 220 DFUs with NST). The primary outcome was the healing rate. The secondary outcomes were time to heal, recurrence rate, transfer rate, infection rate, and amputation/revision surgery rate. The risk differences (RDs) between the healing rates following surgery and NST for infected and noninfected ulcers were 17% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.012-0.328, P = .03) and 19.2% (95% CI = 0.050-0.334, P = .008), respectively, in favor of surgery. The amputation/revision surgery rate was significantly better following surgery for both types of ulcers. Noninfected ulcers demonstrated significantly lesser time to heal, recurrence, and infection rates following surgery. This meta-analysis demonstrated that surgery was superior to NST in treating infected and noninfected neuropathic plantar wounds.