Investigating differences in oxygen saturation values between dorsal and plantar surfaces of the first metatarsophalangeal joint in different Fitzpatrick skin types

This study investigates whether there is a significant difference in oxygen saturation (SpO2) values obtained from the dorsal and plantar surfaces of the first metatarsophalangeal joint (MTPJ) in different Fitzpatrick skin types (FSTs). The moorVMS-OXY™ tissue oxygenation system is validated for use on FSTs 1 and 2, but melanin pigmentation can interfere with its reliability. This pilot study suggests that anatomical variations in the foot greatly affect SpO2 values compared to skin type; a step towards understanding if future prevention of plantar and dorsal ulcers can be made via measurement of SpO2 values from pigmented areas. However, as this is a pilot study, larger-scale research needs to be conducted.