Foot Ulcer - NYC Podiatry Manhattan and White Plains, NY
Dr. Donna M. Hartmann discusses the symptoms, causes and treatments for Foot Ulcers. http://www.adlerfootcare.com
Ulcers are skin wounds that are slow to heal. In the foot, as prominent metatarsal heads on the plantar (bottom of the foot) are subjected to increased pressure, the skin begins to become callused. When subjected to shearing forces, there is a separation between the layers on this callused skin, which fills with fluid and becomes contaminated and infected. The result is a foot ulcer.

Ulcers are classified in four stages, according to how deeply they penetrate the layers of skin they have broken through.

The four stages of ulcers are:
• Stage 1—Characterized by reddening wounds over bony areas. The redness on the skin does not go away when pressure is relieved.
• Stage 2—Characterized by blisters, peeling, or cracked skin. There is a partial thickness skin loss involving the top two layers of the skin