S. Matzke et al., PREDICTIVE VALUE OF DISTAL PRESSURE MEASUREMENTS IN CRITICAL LEG ISCHEMIA, Annales chirurgiae et gynaecologiae, 85(4), 1996, pp. 316-321
In a retrospective study 110 consecutive patients with 145 critically
ischaemic legs were assessed. Based on a three-month follow-up the pre
dictive values for leg survival of the ankle and toe pressure measurem
ents were determined. 25 % of the legs had been amputated. The ankle a
nd toe pressures as well as the ankle brachial index (ABI) were lower
in the amputated than in the nonamputated group but considerably overl
apping. Mean values for ankle pressures were 32 and 42 mmHg (P < 0.05)
, for toe pressures 16 and 20 mmHg (P < 0.05) and for the ABI 0.26 and
0.32 (P < 0.01). According to the present results a single ankle, toe
or ABI measurement had no predictive value as to the risk of amputati
on. It can, however, be used as an adjunctive measure to supplement cl
inical examination.