About 415 million people around the world live with diabetes. Chances are, everybody knows someone whose life has been affected by this deadly disease. One of the challenges people with diabetes face is painful ulcers that develop on their feet due to poor blood circulation and a lack of feeling in their limbs. A significant portion of those who develop diabetes-related ulcers have to get their limbs amputated. In fact, 68% of all amputations are attributable to diabetes.

With the help of BYU exercise science professor Dustin Bruening, public health student Andrew Hillier (class of 2022) and manufacturing engineering student Seth Huber (class of 2020) teamed up to research different offloading braces that help people heal from diabetes-related ulcers.

GETTING A FOOT IN THE DOOR

The current healing method for diabetics with foot ulcers is to immediately put them in a rigid, high calf, controlled ankle motion (CAM) boot in order to reduce pressure around the ulcer area. The boot allows individuals to walk around during the healing process, but Hillier questioned its ability to actually offload the shank.

While still at BYU, Huber created a unique foot brace prototype that eventually developed into the SpringEase Boot. It is designed to offload using a cushioned gap between the foot and sole of the brace. Springs at the ankle decrease foot strain and help soften the blow of each step. Huber originally got the idea after his friend broke both his feet in a climbing accident.

RESEARCH STEPS FORWARD

After receiving a College Undergraduate Research Award to fund the research, Hillier and Huber worked with Bruening to test the effectiveness of various foot braces. Hillier also enlisted the aid of exercise science students Dylan Parry , Amy Hayward and Jordan Grover, all of whom are members of the class of 2022.

The team compared three different biomechanical offloading braces: a traditional CAM boot, a hinged boot and Huber’s SpringEase Boot. They tracked the ground reaction force by inserting a special insole underneath the foot and using a plate on the ground, similar to a scale, then measured the force as the test subjects walked in the different boots.

According to their findings, the SpringEase Boot has the potential to decrease the amount of healing time compared to the other two. “Not only will [this brace] help avoid amputation, but it will also help speed up the healing process,” Hillier says. “It will save money on the medication and healthcare, making the overall public health healthier.”

GIVING A LEG UP

As Huber prepares to partner with a company in New York to produce the SpringEase Boot, he plans to continue testing the boot to measure the improvements on actual patients.

“The point of science is to better the lives of those around us,” Hillier says. “Even by just starting small, we are taking another step in helping those around us: our neighbors, our parents, and our grandparents.”

Newsletter