Patient is a 49 year old
male with a history of Charcot
Marie Tooth Disease
(CMT) who presented with
a a plantar ulcer of the Left
Foot. CMT is an inherited
neuropathy which directly
damage nerves fibers resulting
in both sensory and motor neuropathy causing significant
foot deformities. His medical history included an
unknown type of reconstructive surgery to the left foot in
2007 for his CMT. The presenting plantar ulcer had been
there for 7 months and treated continuously by a local podiatrist
with Iodine dressings only. The patient had never
been prescribed any offloading
devices and presented
wearing canvas
sneakers. Our Initial treatment
consisted of aggressive
debridement of the
ulcer to 100% bleeding surfaces
including all skin margins.
Hemostasis was
achieved rapidly using
Scion CLO-SURPLUS
PADTM Chitosan Hemostatic
dressing. M-Med's
Mobility Series Total Contact
Cast Kit was used to
allow for modification for
his unusual foot configuration. He underwent total contact
casting weekly with complete healing in 5 weeks. The
multi-component TTC system allowed for modifications
by adding, subtracting or modifying components for the
desired fit needed at that time. He was placed in a custom
molded shoe with inserts
and has had no recurrence
to date.
Total Contact Casting is
considered the Gold Standard
for treatment of plantar
based diabetic, neuropathic
foot ulcers. While
neuropathy sets the stage
for the development of
these tissue injuries, the
definitive cause is repeated
trauma and pressure to a
specific area. The key to
healing is to provide offloading
at the point of maximum
pressure and equilibrate
the pressure over the entire surface. Since feet
come in many sizes and
shapes with each patient
having different tolerances
to weight, and placement of
the cast, the ability to individualize
the cast for each
patient and their condition
is of paramount importance.