SynthesisJournal of foot and ankle research2025
Associations Between Diabetic Foot Deformity and the Intrinsic Foot Muscles: A Systematic Review.
Synthesis in Journal of foot and ankle research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Associations Between Diabetic Foot Deformity and the Intrinsic Foot Muscles: A Systematic Review.Journal of foot and ankle research · 2025Pooled it
- Screening practices and risk factors for diabetic foot complications among patients with diabetes at a tertiary centre in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.Journal of family medicine and primary care · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundDiabetic foot deformities such as claw toes are debilitating complications. It has been generally accepted that this results from atrophy of the intrinsic foot muscles (IFMs), despite this relationship being underexplored. However, recent diagnostic imaging studies are finding some associations between diabetic intrinsic foot muscles and foot deformity. This new information requires a thorough review of the evidence.
objectivesOur aim is to systematically review the current literature to investigate any associations between diabetic foot deformity and intrinsic foot muscle changes and review their significance.
methodsElectronic databases Medline, Embase, Scopus, CINAHL, and Web of Science were searched on 6 May 2020 for all years until 2020. The search was re-run on 26 June 2023 with dates ranging from 2020-2023. Human data studies on adults in English, investigating diabetes, foot deformities and intrinsic foot muscles were included for review. PROSPERO registration was approved on 24 July 2020.
resultsEleven papers out of 1779 met the inclusion criteria. For the updated search, two papers out of the 226 met inclusion criteria. All were assessed for quality using the STROBE criteria and the Newcastle and Ottawa Scale. Six reported various correlations between intrinsic foot muscles and claw/hammer toe deformity measurements. Three papers reported limited or no associations. Three papers investigated medial column deformity (MCD); two found a significant correlation to intrinsic foot muscle atrophy.
conclusionOverall, there is a weak association between diabetic foot deformity and intrinsic foot muscle atrophy and intermuscular adipose tissue infiltration.
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Registered trials
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