THE DEVELOPMENT OF FOOT DEFORMITIES AND ULCERS AFTER GREAT TOE AMPUTATION IN DIABETES

OBJECTIVE - Our aim was to compare the prevalence and severity of foot deformities and the development of ulcerations in patients after a gr eat toe amputations. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS - We evaluated the pr esence of deformities of the toes and metatarsophalangeal joints (MTPJ s) in patients with a great toe amputation who had an intact unamputat ed contralateral foot. The contralateral foot served as the patient's own control. We used a binomial test for paired data to compare the pr esence of deformity and ulcer formation and Fisher's exact test to com pare joint flexibility in toes and MTPJs with foot deformities. RESULT S - There were more deformities of the second (P = 0.012) and third (P = 0.002) toes and lesser MTPJs (P < 0.05) and more rigid deformities of the second (P = 0.002) and third (P = 0.016) toes and second MTPJs (P = 0.035) in feet with great toe amputations. New ulcers were more c ommon in feet that had an amputation (P = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS - We con cluded that amputation of the great toe contributes to the development of deformities of the second and third toes and lesser MTPJs and new ulcer formation in patients with diabetes. When deformities were prese nt, the second and third toes and second MTPJ were more severe in feet with a great toe amputation.