Foot wounds are often assumed to be a diabetic problem — but non-diabetics can and do develop serious foot wounds, and these are frequently overlooked or dismissed as “just a cut” or “just a blister.” Unfortunately, delayed evaluation is one of the leading reasons non-diabetic foot wounds progress to infection, tendon exposure, or bone involvement.

Advanced Foot and Ankle Center of San Diego routinely treats patients without diabetes who are surprised to learn that their seemingly minor wound requires specialized surgical care.

Why Non-Diabetics Get Foot Wounds

Even in the absence of diabetes, a number of factors create risk:

1️⃣ Trauma and Pressure

• Blisters from new shoes

• Toenail injury

• Pressure from hiking, running, military boots, or ballet pointe shoes

• Friction under bunions or claw toes

2️⃣ Circulation Problems

Peripheral arterial disease is not limited to diabetics. Even mild vascular compromise can delay healing.

3️⃣ Structural Foot Problems

• Flatfeet, cavus feet, bunions, or hammertoes create focal pressure points

• Persistent rubbing → skin breakdown → open wound

4️⃣ Immune Suppression

Patients on steroids, cancer therapy, biologics, or with autoimmune disease may heal slowly.

5️⃣ Neuropathy Without Diabetes

Chemotherapy, alcohol use, B-12 deficiency, spinal pathology, and hereditary neuropathies can all lead to insensate wounds.

Warning Signs a Foot Wound is NOT Harmless

• Persistent drainage or scabbing after 2 weeks

• Increasing redness, swelling, or warmth

• Odor or discoloration

• A callus with a dark center

• Pain that increases instead of improves

• You “can’t remember” when the wound started

A wound that does not shrink by 50% in 2 weeks should be considered at risk for infection or limb-threatening complications — even in non-diabetics.

Why Specialized Care Matters

Foot and ankle wounds are not like skin wounds elsewhere.

They sit over:

• Tendons

• Joint capsules

• Bone

• Surgical hardware (for patients with prior surgery)

Once infection reaches deep structures, it becomes far harder to treat.

Advanced Foot and Ankle Center of San Diego utilizes:

• Advanced imaging to detect early bone involvement

• Surgical debridement when necessary

• Biologic wound products

• Off-loading techniques used in limb salvage centers

• Deformity correction to prevent recurrence

This allows patients to save their limb without being sent from office to office hoping someone can manage the full picture.

When a Foot and Ankle Surgeon Should Be Involved

A wound specialist or podiatrist may treat the surface problem — but when the wound is deep, recurrent, or associated with deformity, it becomes a surgical and biomechanical issue.

A foot and ankle–trained surgeon evaluates:

• Bone alignment

• Biomechanics

• Soft-tissue envelope

• Vascular and neurologic status

• Limb salvage considerations before surgery is ever required

This layered approach is standard at Advanced Foot and Ankle Center of San Diego.

Takeaway

Foot wounds in non-diabetics should never be ignored. They can be the first sign of vascular disease, undiagnosed neuropathy, or hidden deformity — and early intervention can prevent infection, hospitalization, and reconstructive surgery.

If a wound has not healed in 2 weeks, is draining, or keeps returning, expert evaluation is critical — even if you do not have diabetes.