Advances in the Topical Treatment of Diabetic Foot Ulcers

The diabetic foot remains a major cause of morbidity worldwide. Even though considerable progress has been achieved over the past years, there is still an urgent need for improvement. While established therapeutic modalities (revascularization, casting and debridement) remain the mainstay of management, there is, therefore, continuous development of new treatment options. This review provides an outlook of advances in topical treatment, including bioengineered skin substitutes (such as Dermagraft, Apligraf, HYAFF, OASIS and Graftjacket), extracellular matrix proteins (such as Hyalofill and E-matrix), as well as miscellaneous further therapeutic adjuncts. Although promising, new therapies should not, for the time being, constitute the basis of management, since clinical experience has not yet confirmed their effectiveness in hard-to-heal diabetic foot ulcers. Furthermore, their cost-effectiveness merits further investigation. Instead, they should only be considered in combination with established treatments or be attempted when these have not been successful. Moreover, we should not be oblivious to the fact that established and emerging treatments need to be practised in the setting of multidisciplinary foot clinics to reduce the number of amputations.