The musculoskeletal diabetic foot exam.

Over the past generation, attention has been rightly focused on assessing the vascular and neurological status of people with diabetes to assess overall risk for ulceration and amputation. While musculoskeletal assessment has been discussed, it has often not received direct attention in the recent medical literature. In this article, the authors describe methods to perform a thorough musculoskeletal exam to better assess potential pathomechanics leading to foot and ankle deformities in order to provide specific prophylactic and therapeutic treatment. For each anatomic location, the authors will describe the basis for the examination, the examination technique and define abnormal findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]