Transverse Tibial Bone Transfer in the Treatment of Diabetes Foot Ulcer: A Pilot Study

Abstract

Background:The treatment of diabetes-related foot complications is a clinical challenge. The underlying complicating factors of peripheral vascular disease render most diabetic foot ulcers asymptomatic until the ulcer fails to heal and becomes clinically distinct, constituting a significant cause of disability and even death in diabetic patients. Objective: To evaluate the clinical efficacy of tibial transverse transport (TTT) in the treatment of patients with diabetic foot ulcers. Methods: A total of 35 patients who met the inclusion criteria were selected as the study group from patients with diabetic foot ulcers diagnosed and treated at our hospital between August 2019 and March 2021 and were treated with TTT, and 35 patients who also met the inclusion criteria were included in the routine group and were given conventional wound debridement. The primary endpoint of this study was clinical efficacy, including pain condition, trauma condition, ankle-brachial index, and peripheral nerve recovery. Results: Patients receiving TTT showed significantly reduced visual analogue scale (VAS) scores than those with conventional treatment (P<0.05). TTT resulted in a significant reduction of trabecular area and better trabecular healing versus conventional treatment (P<0.05). TTT was associated with significantly higher ankle-brachial index (ABI) and lower Michigan neuropathy screening instrument (MNSI) scores in patients versus conventional debridement (P<0.05). Conclusion: TTT effectively alleviates the pain of diabetic foot ulcer patients, promotes wound healing, and improves ankle-brachial index and peripheral nerve recovery. In the context of the high amputation rate of diabetic foot ulcers treated by internal medicine, TTT contributes positively to the enhancement of patient prognosis and merits clinical promotion.