Ray resections in the insensitive or dysvascular foot: a critical review.

The records of 28 patients who underwent 37 ray resections at Hines Veterans' Administration Hospital and Loyola University Medical Center were reviewed. Indications included localized gangrene, osteomyelitis, or both. Underlying medical diagnoses included diabetes, chronic ethanol abuse, arteriosclerosis obliterans, and gout. The overall success rate was only 34%. These results suggest that the usefulness of ray resections as a definitive procedure in such cases may be limited.