The Diabetic Foot

It has been more than 4 years since the first edition of The Diabetic Foot was published. Over this period of time, it has become absolutely clear that diabetes is becoming a pandemic that challenges the health care resources of all societies, from the developing ones to the most advanced. It is therefore not surprising that diabetic foot disease is still a major problem and, if anything, is growing in size rather than coming under control. One positive development is that our knowledge of the pathophysiology of foot pr- lems in diabetes has considerably expanded. Furthermore, it has been realized that impairment in wound healing is associated with pathways that are related to the dev- opment of cardiovascular disease, both in the micro- and macrocirculation. In The Diabetic Foot: Second Edition, we have tried to keep the spirit of the first edition, which is to give the interested reader a full view of diabetic foot disease and to emphasize the need for a multidisciplinary approach in its management. As with the first edition, we have relied on the long tradition of the Joslin-Beth Israel Deconess Foot Center, one of the oldest and most experienced diabetic foot centers. We have also tried to emphasize new developments in basic and clinical research that we hope will be translated to clinical practice in the future.