A 55-year-old diabetic patient presents with a painless plantar ulcer under the first metatarsal head with surrounding callus, palpable foot pulses, and intact ankle reflexes but absent vibration sense distally. The Wagner grade of this ulcer (depth to subcutaneous tissue but not to tendon or capsule) is:
- A Wagner Grade 0
- B Wagner Grade 1
- C Wagner Grade 2 ✓
- D Wagner Grade 3
Explanation
The Wagner Classification grades diabetic foot ulcers: Grade 0 = intact skin (pre-ulcer); Grade 1 = superficial ulcer, skin only; Grade 2 = deep ulcer penetrating to tendons, capsule, or bone; Grade 3 = deep ulcer with osteomyelitis or abscess; Grade 4 = partial gangrene (forefoot); Grade 5 = gangrene of entire foot. An ulcer penetrating subcutaneous tissue but not reaching tendon/capsule/bone fits Grade 2 by depth criteria, though some classifications use Grade 2 only for involvement of deeper structures. The palpable pulses indicate adequate vascular supply (neuropathic rather than ischemic ulcer), making debridement and pressure offloading the priority.
Reference: Maheshwari Essential Orthopaedics, 6th ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.