Polymer Materials for Diabetic Footwear
Keywords:
Diabetic Foot, Diabetic Footwear, Polymers and Rubber Compounds, Desired PropertiesAbstract
Recent times have seen an upsurge in the statistics of type 2 Diabetes (diabetes mellitus) in India. The symptoms and effects
associated with it can be far-reaching sometimes. This thesis includes a discussion about the diabetic footwear. This is a condition
which is caused by nerve damage in patients with acute diabetes which may result in infections, lacerations and finally an
amputation of the affected foot. In such cases, the foot has to be taken care of during the duration of treatment. A specialized
range of footwear can be custom-made for different patients according to the level of infection caused in the foot. This thesis
mainly deals with the different polymeric materials that are generally used in the manufacturing of diabetic footwear and their
different combinations. Further, there will be a discussion regarding the satisfactory conditions required for such kind of
footwear according to which the footwear materials will be compounded, moulded and tested to check for the credibility of a
particular polymer combination. The final and the most suitable combination will be concluded with an explanation of how the
footwear provides comfort as well as protection to the damaged foot, and a brief discussion to choose the best footwear for a
diabetic foot patient.
