The term diabetic foot is used when the diabetic neuropathy or arteriopathy of the lower limbs compromises the function or structure of the foot (Figure 3).
The two pictures, also defined as neuropathic foot or ischemic foot, are extremely different from each other: however in most patients, especially those of advanced age, neuropathy and vasculopathy coexist and the term neuroischemic foot is therefore used.
A serious risk of complication for a diabetic foot, in the presence of an open ulcer, is the likely onset of an infection; in fact this is often the real cause of the amputation.