2000 Volume 11 Issue 3 Pages 225-231
The technique using air-plethysmography presented by Christopoulos et al. has been used widely to assess the lower extremity venous function. Many subjects, however, could not stand with the weight on the opposite leg with ease. We tried therefore to put a box under opposite leg on standing position. The aim of this study was to compare our technique, using a box, with the technique of Christopoulos in the assessment of venous function using air-plethysmography.
Twenty normal limbs of 12 healthy volunteers were studied by our technique and by the technique of Christopoulos using air-plethysmography. Venous volume (VV), venous filling index, ejection fraction and residual volume fraction were 94.0±27.7ml, 0.92±0.43ml/sec., 53.2±14.3%, 28.8±14.9% by the technique of Christopoulos, respectively, and 84.2±22.6ml, 1.08±0.70ml/sec., 50.4±16.4%, 33.3±21.0% by our technique, respectively. VV measured by our technique was significantly lower than that by the technique of Christopoulos (p=0.014). There were, however, close correlations of the parameters between our technique and technique of Christopoulos.
The results suggest that, our technique is useful to assess the lower extremity venous function with ease.
