Plantar Thermography in High-Risk Patients With Diabetes Mellitus Compared to Nondiabetic Individuals.

This article focuses on the use of infrared thermography to measure plantar foot temperatures in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) and a history of diabetic foot (DF) ulcers, compared to individuals without DM. The study found that patients with DM and prior DF ulcers exhibited significantly higher temperatures at the metatarsal heads and heels than non-diabetic controls, while arch temperatures showed no difference. Foot temperature did not correlate with age or ankle-brachial index (ABI) but had a mild correlation with daily ambient temperature. These findings provide reference temperature values that may support future research and clinical applications of thermography in DF prevention and management, especially in scenarios where traditional assessment methods are limited.