Use of Monofilament in the Detection of Foot Lesions in Older Adults

The purpose of this study was to compare Semmes-Weinstein monofilament testing between elderly and young patients in both a diabetic and nondiabetic population. Monofilament mapping (10 g) was performed on 115 patients: 74 who were greater than 60 years of age (47 with diabetes) and 41 who were younger than 60 years (20 with diabetes). Sensations were assessed at 15 predefined pressure/risk points. Sensations were found to have perfect correlation between the same point on the left and right foot (r = 1.0) for each of the 15 points. The data for the 15 points were divided in 2 subsets: one for 8 points similar to a validated method and another with 7 new points on the dorsum and ankle area. Scores on both subsets differed significantly by age group ( P P