CHANGES IN LOCAL BLOOD-VOLUME DURING COLD GEL PACK APPLICATION TO TRAUMATIZED ANKLES

Whether application of a cold modality following soft tissue trauma ca uses reactive vasodilation is an important clinical question since one goal of using a cold modality is to limit edema formation. The purpos e of this study was to measure change in local blood volume during app lication of a cold gel pack following inversion sprain of the ankle. F ifteen volunteers participated as subjects (age range: 18-46 years, me an age: 22.2 years). A bilateral tetrapolar impedance plethysmograph w as used with venous occlusion to measure the change in local limb volu me at the ankle over a 20-minute period during two conditions: at rest and with cold gel pack application. A significant reduction in local blood volume occurred during cold gel pack application compared with r est. A significant vasodilation response was not observed. The lack of vasodilation response lends support to the clinical use of a cold gel pack following soft tissue trauma when applied to the ankle for a per iod of up to 20 minutes.