The diabetic Charcot foot syndrome is a serious and potentially limb-threatening lower-extremity complication of diabetes. First described in 1883, this enigmatic condition continues to challenge even the most experienced practitioners. Now considered an inflammatory syndrome, the diabetic Charcot foot is characterized by varying degrees of bone and joint disorganization secondary to underlying neuropathy, trauma, and perturbations of bone metabolism. An international task force of experts was convened by the American Diabetes Association and the American Podiatric Medical Association in January 2011 to summarize available evidence on the pathophysiology, natural history, presentations, and treatment recommendations for this entity.

Background: Cutaneous wound measurements are important to track the healing of a wound and direct appropriate therapy. The most commonly used method to calculate wound area is an estimation by multiplying the longest length by the widest width. Other devices can provide an accurate and precise measurement of the true area (TA). This study aim was to compare wound areas calculated by computerized planimetry with standard area estimation by multiplying the longest length by the widest width ( l × w). Methods: We reviewed the wound records of 10 patients with circular or oval wounds and estimated the area with the l × w method. We compared this with the TA obtained by a specialized planimetric camera. Results: Average wound size was 4.3 cm² by l × w estimation and 3 cm² by TA calculation. We found the l × w method overestimated wound area an average of 41%. Conclusions: Standard, manual ( l × w) measurement of cutaneous wounds inaccurately overestimates wound area by roughly 40%.

The diabetic Charcot foot syndrome is a serious and potentially limb-threatening lower-extremity complication of diabetes. First described in 1883, this enigmatic condition continues to challenge even the most experienced practitioners. Now considered an inflammatory syndrome, the diabetic Charcot foot is characterized by varying degrees of bone and joint disorganization secondary to underlying neuropathy, trauma, and perturbations of bone metabolism. An international task force of experts was convened by the American Diabetes Association and the American Podiatric Medical Association in January 2011 to summarize available evidence on the pathophysiology, natural history, presentations, and treatment recommendations for this entity. (J Am Podiatr Med Assoc 101(5): 437–446, 2011)