Projects

Introduction: 

Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) represent a severe complication with the potential for lower limb amputations. This is a pilot study investigating the comparative efficacy of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy for chronic DFUs, utilising dressing and perilesional/wound bed injection methods.

Methods: 

In this prospective comparative interventional study, 15 patients with non-healing chronic DFUs (Wagner Grade 1 or 2) were enrolled in each group. Group 1 received PRP via dressing while Group 2 underwent perilesional and wound bed injections with a 1-week interval between treatments. Evaluation included the Pressure Ulcer Scale for Healing tool, the Lower Extremity Functional Scale and a secondary analysis of the correlation between wound healing and glycaemic control.

Results: 

The PRP injection group showed a statistically significant reduction in ulcer size (P < 0.035), exudate (P < 0.026) and tissue type (P < 0.003). Notably, this group exhibited a higher incidence of wound improvement overall. However, no statistically significant correlation emerged between wound healing and glycaemic control.

Conclusion: 

The study concludes that PRP injection for chronic DFUs surpasses the effectiveness of PRP dressing alone, proving to be a cost-effective and secure approach. The intervention yielded satisfactory results, expediting the healing process of chronic diabetic ulcers. These findings offer valuable insights for refining treatment approaches for DFUs.