Comprehensive review on diabetic foot ulcers and neuropathy: Treatment, prevention and management

Table 5 Representation of techniques used for early diagnosis of diabetic foot ulcers

Techniques/tools	Assessment	Procedure	Utilization
Conventional tools		Direct physical examination	Help provide an assessment of the healing status of the wound
Footwear connected to computer	Pressure perception	Analyze risk factors for DFU based on recorded foot pressure	Use of footwear is considered good for identifying ulcerations, because there is a walking practice carried out by the patient
Biothesiometer or tuning fork	Vibration perception threshold testing	Vibration perception is tested over the pulp of the hallux	Patients who are at risk of DFU will feel relatively shorter vibration than normal people
Sudoscan medical device	Sudomotor/sweat glands function	Consist of a set of two electrodes for the feet and hands connected to a computer	Based on stimulation of sweat glands by low level voltage allowing evidence of sweat dysfunction that is not detectable under physiological conditions
Pinpricks		Inserted into pain receptors, namely the Meissner and Pacini nerves in the legs	Simple and can identify the risk of DFU well. Inability to perceive pinprick over either hallux would be regarded as an abnormal test result
3D thermal camera assessment system (e.g., FLIR or DSLR camera integrated smartphones)	Temperature perception	Helps in detecting the increase in temperature over the point of sole susceptible for ulcer	Help in taking preventive measures and stop further progression of disease. This is important to accelerate healing
DFU screening instrument; questionnaire/images, e.g., NeuDiaCan	Motor/sensitivity/autonomic, color segmentation of images	Allows the examination to be completed with an objective score	Help stratify the risk of diabetic foot and can be combined with standard nursing interventions

DFUs: Diabetic foot ulcers.