To investigate the characteristics of diabetic patients with foot ulcers, their health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and the link between them. The study population included 131 consecutive patients presenting in a diabetic foot clinic with a new foot ulcer between December 1, 2011, and May 1, 2012. The authors collected sociodemographic data, foot and ulcer characteristics using the Wagner Grade, and HRQoL (using the SF-36 Scale) information; 54.2% of the patients were in Wagner 2 or Wagner 3 categories. In all the 8 SF-36 subscales and in the SF-36 summary scales, the patients with diabetic foot ulcer had significantly poorer HRQoL than the general population in China (P < .01). Their Wagner Grade had negative correlation with all the SF-36 subscales and the summary scales (P < .05). In conclusion, new diabetic foot ulcers were already in poor condition when patients first visited the diabetic foot clinic. Concomitantly, patients had worse HRQoL compared with the general population. More effective interventions are needed to improve their self-care level and HRQoL.

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Scars are a common complication of surgery or burn wound management. Scars occur over the body, affecting people of both sexes and all ages. Scar therapy is a constant clinical challenge; antimitotic drugs and radiotherapy are used with varying degrees of success. This article examines the success of both these types of treatment modalities.

Background: Since the three-dimensional (3-D) structure of dermal tissue has an important role in regulating cell behavior and directing the wound healing process, the characteristic of the 3-D structure of dermal tissue needs to be clarified. Objective: To explore the different 3-D structures between normal and scar dermal tissues. Material and Methods: Phase-contrast microtomography with synchrotron radiation technology was applied to detect the 3-D structure of dermal tissues. Results: The normal dermal tissue consists of elliptical structures formed by fiber bundles interwoven in a helical manner. A regular louver-like structure was observed on the fibers. In scar tissue, the fiber bundles were arrayed in parallel, the louver-like structures were disordered. Conclusion: The study demonstrates the mesoscopic difference between normal dermal tissue and scar tissue, suggests that the high level of interweaving capability of collagen is compromised/lost when dermal tissue is injured, and provides a basis for future studies.