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World J Clin Cases. Mar 16, 2023; 11(8): 1669-1683
Published online Mar 16, 2023. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v11.i8.1669
Understanding the multifaceted etiopathogenesis of foot complications in individuals with diabetes
Tatjana Matijević, Jasminka Talapko, Tomislav Meštrović, Marijan Matijević, Suzana Erić, Ivan Erić, Ivana Škrlec
Tatjana Matijević, Department of Dermatology and Venereology, University Hospital Center Osijek, Osijek 31000, Croatia
Jasminka Talapko, Ivana Škrlec, Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Osijek 31000, Croatia
Tomislav Meštrović, University Centre Varaždin, University North, Varaždin 42000, Croatia
Tomislav Meštrović, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation and the Department for Health Metrics Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195, United States
Marijan Matijević, Department of Surgery, National Memorial Hospital Vukovar, Vukovar 32000, Croatia
Suzana Erić, Ivan Erić, Faculty of Medicine, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Osijek 31000, Croatia
Suzana Erić, Department of Radiotherapy and Oncology, Clinical Hospital Center Osijek, Osijek 31000, Croatia
Ivan Erić, Department of Surgery, Osijek University Hospital Centre, Osijek 31000, Croatia
Author contributions: Matijević T performed the literature review and drafted the article; Talapko J conceived and designed the article, aided in interpretation of relevant literature, and assisted in drafting the article with significant contributions from Meštrović T, Matijević M, Erić S, and Erić I contributed to the interpretation of relevant literature and article drafting; Škrlec I coordinated the literature search and article and figure preparation and critically revised the manuscript. All authors have read and approved the final version of the manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Ivana Škrlec, MSc, PhD, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Crkvena 21, Osijek 31000, Croatia. iskrlec@fdmz.hr
Received: December 7, 2022
Peer-review started: December 7, 2022
First decision: January 17, 2023
Revised: February 1, 2023
Accepted: February 17, 2023
Article in press: February 17, 2023
Published online: March 16, 2023
Processing time: 89 Days and 23.7 Hours
Core Tip

Core Tip: Diabetic foot disease is a common and debilitating consequence of diabetes mellitus. Unfortunately, the recurrence rate of diabetic foot ulcers is exceptionally high, even after effective wound healing. Risk factors for foot ulcers in diabetes include peripheral neuropathy, peripheral arterial disease, mild or recurrent foot trauma, infection, foot abnormalities, history of diabetic foot ulcers or amputations, and Charcot osteoarthropathy. However, poor wound healing is thought to be the major cause of long-term diabetic wounds, while the presence of polymicrobial infections may further compound this issue. Additional studies are needed to understand the underlying mechanisms and fill the knowledge gaps that would ultimately lead to successful treatment.