Article

The concept of 'classification' has, similar to many other diseases, been
found to be fundamental in the field of diabetic medicine. In the current study,
we aimed at determining efficacy measures of a recently published plantar
pressure based classification system. METHODS:
Technical efficacy of the
classification system was investigated by applying a high resolution, pixel-level
analysis on the normalized plantar pressure pedobarographic fields of the
original experimental dataset consisting of 97 patients with diabetes and 33
persons without diabetes. Clinical efficacy was assessed by considering the
occurence of foot ulcers at the plantar aspect of the forefoot in this dataset.
Classification efficacy was assessed by determining the classification
recognition rate as well as its sensitivity and specificity using
cross-validation subsets of the experimental dataset together with a novel cohort
of 12 patients with diabetes. RESULTS: Pixel-level comparison of the four groups
associated to the classification system highlighted distinct regional
differences. Retrospective analysis showed the occurence of eleven foot ulcers in
the experimental dataset since their gait analysis. Eight out of the eleven
ulcers developed in a region of the foot which had the highest forces. Overall
classification recognition rate exceeded 90% for all cross-validation subsets.
Sensitivity and specificity of the four groups associated to the classification
system exceeded respectively the 0.7 and 0.8 level in all cross-validation
subsets. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the current study support the use of the
novel plantar pressure based classification system in diabetic foot medicine. It
may particularly serve in communication, diagnosis and clinical decision making.
CI - Copyright (c) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS