European Journal of Vascular & Endovascular Surgery
Volume 33, Issue 3 , Pages 325-329, March 2007

Plantar Flexion as an Alternative to Treadmill Exercise for Evaluating Patients with Intermittent Claudication

  • K. Yamamoto

      Affiliations

    • Division of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
    • ,
  • T. Miyata

      Affiliations

    • Division of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. T. Miyata, Division of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan.
    • ,
  • A. Onozuka

      Affiliations

    • Division of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
    • ,
  • H. Koyama

      Affiliations

    • Department of Vascular Regeneration, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
    • ,
  • H. Ohtsu

      Affiliations

    • Department of Clinical Bioinformatics, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
    • ,
  • H. Nagawa

      Affiliations

    • Division of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

Accepted 8 October 2006. published online 12 December 2006.

Objective

The aim of this study was to examine whether the plantar flexion test could adequately replace treadmill testing in patients who were unable to exercise.

Design

Prospective observational study.

Patients

Twenty-seven patients with intermittent claudication secondary to peripheral arterial disease (PAD).

Methods

Patients performed two treadmill tests and two plantar flexion tests. Ankle pressure, near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) data, heart rate and blood pressures were monitored along with pain-free and maximum walking distances for treadmill, pain-free and maximum exercise time for plantar flexion.

Results

Maximum exercise time and walking distance were well correlated (R=0.74). Eleven patients (41%) developed non-claudicating symptoms during the treadmill test but not during the flexion test. Rate pressure product was significantly higher after the treadmill but not after the plantar flexion.

Conclusions

Plantar flexion test showed good reliability and correlation. Plantar flexion may serve as an alternative to treadmill testing in evaluating muscle pain in patients with intermittent claudication.

Keywords: Plantar flexion, Treadmill, Claudication, Stress test, Peripheral arterial disease

 

PII: S1078-5884(06)00588-0

doi:10.1016/j.ejvs.2006.10.012

European Journal of Vascular & Endovascular Surgery
Volume 33, Issue 3 , Pages 325-329, March 2007

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