This number includes patients with diabetic ulcers, venous stasis ulcers, ischemic leg ulcers, and to ulcers from a variety of other problems such as these caused by dermatologic conditions. In the United States there are between 11 million and 16 million people with diabetes. Ten to 15 percent of those patients will develop diabetic foot ulcers at some point during the course of their disease. Complications of diabetic foot ulcers lead to more hospital days than any other problem related to diabetes. One half of all leg amputations are in diabetic patients.
Venous ulcers are at least as common or more common than diabetic ulcers.
The cost to society is even higher when loss of productivity in these patients is considered. Healthy People 2000 predicted that with today's technology, the amputation rate could be reduced by 40 percent by the year 2000 in the United States. Healing ulcers is less costly than leg amputation. The use of newer methods such as growth factors and outpatient pathways established at UPMC extends the expertise of the University. Improved outpatient care will reduce the need for amputation.