Determinants of Success After Metatarsal Head Resection for the Treatment of Neuropathic Diabetic Foot Ulcers

Metatarsal head resection (MHR) is an effective option for the treatment of nonhealing neuropathic diabetic foot ulcers. The present study aimed to identify factors that predict treatment success for neuropathic diabetic foot ulcers undergoing metatarsal head resection. In this prospective interventional case series, 30 consecutive diabetic patients with documented nonischemic neuropathic plantar diabetic foot ulcers beneath the metatarsal head who underwent MHR were included. The study endpoint was demographic indicators of early and late postoperative outcomes. Patients were followed up for 1 to 66 months (mean 37.6 months). Except for 1 patient, all subjects' wounds (96.6%) healed after metatarsal head resection within an average of 35 days. One of the operated patients (3.4%) suffered short-term complications; long-term complications occurred in 23.3% of the patients. One patient (3.4%) experienced ulcer recurrence, 3 patients (10%) developed wound infection, and transfer lesions occurred in 3 other patients (10%) during the follow-up period. Using 3 estimators including ordinary least squares (OLS), White's heteroscedastic standard errors, and bootstrapping procedure, we could not find any statistically significant demographic feature related to ulcer healing. Using regression modeling, we could not find any evidence for a role of age, sex, weight, height, BMI, duration of ulcer until MHR, and duration of diabetes mellitus (years since diabetes diagnosis) affecting the outcome of MHR. Hence, demographic features, duration of ulcer until MHR, and years with diabetes did not affect the outcome of MHR. In conclusion, the authors believe that MHR will have a high rate of success for neuropathic wound healing in this specific subset of patients regardless of demographic features, as long as there is no ischemia to impair healing by secondary intention.