Activity Reduction vs Advice for Plantar Hotspots in Diabetes (MONITOR)

Participants will receive standard diabetic-foot preventive care, daily plantar-temperature monitoring, and objective step-count recording, plus an individualized temporary daily step-count target. The default target will be no more than 50% of the participant's objectively recorded habitual daily activity. If a 50% reduction is judged clinically inappropriate, a prespecified modified target requiring at least a 25% reduction may be used. Participants will receive feedback comparing their recorded activity with the prescribed target and will continue the temporary activity restriction until sustained hotspot resolution.

An individualized temporary ambulatory-activity prescription initiated after confirmation of a plantar thermal hotspot. The default daily step-count target is no more than 50% of the participant's objectively recorded habitual daily activity. If a 50% reduction is judged clinically inappropriate, a prespecified modified target requiring at least a 25% reduction may be used. Participants receive objective activity monitoring and feedback comparing actual daily steps with the prescribed target until sustained hotspot resolution.

Participants will receive the same standard diabetic-foot preventive care, daily plantar-temperature monitoring, and objective step-count recording as the experimental group. They will receive standardized written and verbal advice to substantially reduce unnecessary walking and weight-bearing activity while the hotspot remains present. They will not receive an individualized numerical step-count target, percentage activity target, structured feedback comparing actual activity with a target, or escalation of the activity prescription solely because a numerical target was not achieved.

Standardized written and verbal advice to substantially reduce unnecessary walking and weight-bearing activity while the plantar thermal hotspot remains present. Participants do not receive an individualized numerical step-count target, percentage activity target, structured feedback comparing actual activity with a prescribed target, or escalation of the activity prescription based solely on failure to meet a numerical target. Objective step counts are recorded for study assessment.

Number of days from randomization until the first of two consecutive valid daily measurements showing an inter-foot temperature difference ≤2.2°C at the index plantar site. Development before resolution of diabetic foot ulceration, a pre-ulcerative lesion requiring therapeutic offloading, infection, suspected Charcot neuro-osteoarthropathy, or another foot complication requiring treatment that supersedes the randomized strategy will be considered failure to achieve uncomplicated resolution during the primary outcome period.

Proportion of randomized participants achieving uncomplicated sustained resolution of the index plantar thermal hotspot by Day 7. Sustained resolution requires an inter-foot temperature difference ≤2.2°C at the index site on two consecutive valid daily measurements without a preceding disqualifying foot complication.

Percentage change in mean daily step count during Days 1 through 4 after randomization relative to the participant's habitual activity level. Habitual activity is defined as the median daily step count from at least five valid days during Days -21 through -3 relative to the first positive thermal screening measurement.

Area under the curve of the daily absolute inter-foot temperature difference at the index plantar hotspot during the 14-day primary outcome period. Daily temperature differences are calculated from corresponding bilateral plantar temperature measurements.

Proportion of participants who develop a newly confirmed plantar thermal hotspot at the index site after achieving sustained resolution. Recurrence is defined using the prespecified hotspot criterion of an inter-foot temperature difference >2.2°C at the index site on two consecutive daily measurements.