**4.4 Diabetic ulcers**

Around 382 million people worldwide suffer from diabetes mellitus, which is one of the leading causes of death. Diabetic foot ulcers are a common serious complication of diabetes and are very common. Diabetes associated with peripheral neuropathy increases the risk of ulceration due to repeated mechanical stress, which creates a weakened, insensate foot, heightened by disrupted perfusion. Wound healing is directly disrupted by metabolic derangements caused due to hyperglycemia in diabetic patients [18]. There is a higher risk of re-ulceration, amputation, and death in patients suffering from diabetic foot ulcers. This has drawn greater attention to diabetic wound healing and limb salvage in the recent past [21]. **Figure 13** shows patients suffering from diabetic ulcers.
