A new ambulatory foot pressure device for patients with sensory impairment. A system for continuous measurement of plantar pressure and a feed-back alarm

Abnormal and excessive plantar pressure is a major risk factor for the deve lopment of foot ulcers in patients with loss of protective pain sensation. Repeated pressure with each step can result in inflammation at specific poi nts, followed by ulcer formation. Patients with peripheral nerve disease ar e unable to prevent the development of such lesions, which often lead to am putation. For this reason, it has been suggested that a fundamental therape utic intervention should be the reduction of high plantar pressure. We have developed a portable, battery-operated ambulatory foot pressure device (AF PD) which has two important functions: (1) to determine the areas of high p lantar pressure, and (2) to provide an acoustic alarm, adjusted to a specif ic pressure load, which is triggered when weight-bearing exceeds the predet ermined plantar pressure. A memory of plantar pressure parameters allows fo r downloading of the data and sequential analysis during the investigation period. Such an alarm device could replace the lack of pain sensation and m ay play an important role in the prevention of ulcer development and lower extremity amputation. (C) 2000 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All right s reserved.