Transverse tibial bone transfer accelerates healing of foot ulcers in a rabbit model of type 2 diabetes mellitus: involvement and regulation of circular RNA

• Transverse tibial bone transfer significantly accelerates healing of diabetic foot ulcers in a rabbit model, with improved epidermal repair, collagen deposition, and angiogenesis. • The surgery elevates serum levels of VEGF-A and CD31, key markers of angiogenesis, at 14 and 21 days post-operation. • Whole-genome sequencing identified differential expression of circular RNAs, notably downregulation of circPDS5B, which may be involved in the therapeutic mechanism. • The findings suggest that transverse tibial bone transfer promotes wound healing and angiogenesis via molecular pathways involving circular RNAs, offering a potential target for enhancing treatment efficacy.