New ETF Study Demonstrates Enhanced Prediction of Diabetic Foot Ulcers

The company is delighted to announce the publication of new original research utilizing the ETF. In this retrospective study, the ETF and Semmes Weinstein monofilament test (SWM) were evaluated for their accuracy in predicting ulcer occurrence in a community health center setting. Each test was assessed on its own and then combined to see which was most effective. Interestingly, each test on its own yielded similar results, however, when combined the accuracy improved for ulcer prediction. This confirms the current American Diabetes Association guidelines for neuropathy testing with the SWM and at least one other method. Another key finding was that <4 seconds on the ETF scale was shown to be superior to other cutoff times including 0 seconds (absent vibration sensation). This unexpected result could impact those providers relying on absent vibration sensation with the 128Hz tuning fork as the optimal predictor for ulcer risk.