While many patients are prescribed custom insoles as part of treatment for common leg and foot conditions, it seems that they could also help with another serious medical issue. According to Healthline, researchers have invented a new insole which could help with diabetes-related ulcers on the foot, therefore helping to reduce the number of complications which can occur, including amputation.

The researchers, from Purdue University, have created the insole with the idea that oxygen is the key to treating and preventing diabetes-related complications. Using technology similar to that which is being seen in contact lenses used to treat retinopathy caused by diabetes, the increase in oxygen delivered to the foot is designed to help the foot heal easier.

For those suffering from diabetes, simple ulcers, cuts, and blisters can easily become infected, as sugar in the bloodstream can prevent an appropriate level of oxygen reaching the wound – this can become life-threatening, which is why it often leads to foot amputation. Foot ulcers are the most common cause of amputation for those with diabetes.

These insoles aren’t designed to be worn inside shoes, however, but rather inside a total contact cast, which already has proven beneficial effects to helping to heal simple wounds for those with diabetes.

The study, which was conducted in the US, found that the most efficient way to market these insoles would be to create them with common areas, which could be then prescribed by doctors, however, it’s not a cure for the condition, and patients should focus on improving their blood sugar levels, as the rate that foot ulcers recur is quite high.