Diabetic　foot　ulcers　are　a　major　complication　of　diabetes　and　present　a　considerable　burden　for　both　patients　and　health　care　providers.　As　healing　often　takes　many　months,　a　method　of　determining　which　ulcers　would　be　most　likely　to　heal　would　be　of　great　value　in　identifying　patients　who　require　further　intervention　at　an　early　stage.　Hyperspectral　imaging　(HSI)　is　a　tool　that　has　the　potential　to　meet　this　clinical　need.　Due　to　the　different　absorption　spectra　of　oxy-　and　deoxyhemoglobin,　in　biomedical　HSI　the　majority　of　research　has　utilized　reflectance　spectra　to　estimate　oxygen　saturation　(SpO　2　)　values　from　peripheral　tissue.　In　an　earlier　study,　HSI　of　43　patients　with　diabetic　foot　ulcers　at　the　time　of　presentation　revealed　that　ulcer　healing　by　12　weeks　could　be　predicted　by　the　assessment　of　SpO　2　calculated　from　these　images.　Principal　component　analysis　(PCA)　is　an　alternative　approach　to　analyzing　HSI　data.　Although　frequently　applied　in　other　fields,　mapping　of　SpO　2　is　more　common　in　biomedical　HSI.　It　is　therefore　valuable　to　compare　the　performance　of　PCA　with　SpO　2　measurement　in　the　prediction　of　wound　healing.　Data　from　the　same　study　group　have　now　been　used　to　examine　the　relationship　between　ulcer　healing　by　12　weeks　when　the　results　of　the　original　HSI　are　analyzed　using　PCA.　At　the　optimum　thresholds,　the　sensitivity　of　prediction　of　healing　by　12　weeks　using　PCA　(87.5%)　was　greater　than　that　of　SpO　2　(50.0%),　with　both　approaches　showing　equal　specificity　(88.2%).　The　positive　predictive　value　of　PCA　and　oxygen　saturation　analysis　was　0.91　and　0.86,　respectively,　and　a　comparison　by　receiver　operating　characteristic　curve　analysis　revealed　an　area　under　the　curve　of　0.88　for　PCA　compared　with　0.66　using　SpO　2　analysis.　It　is　concluded　that　HSI　may　be　a　better　predictor　of　healing　when　analyzed　by　PCA　than　by　SpO　2　.　©　2018　by　the　authors.　Licensee　MDPI,　Basel,　Switzerland.　This　article　is　an　open　access　article　distributed　under　the　terms　and　conditions　of　the　Creative　Commons　Attribution　(CC　BY)　license