Abstract
Background Exercise walking has improved walking capacity in patients with intermittent claudication
without affecting the macrocirculation reflected in ankle pressures. We wanted to
investigate microcirculation in the skin related to exercise walking by using Micro-Lightguide
Spectrophotometry (O2C).
Materials and Methods Twenty-eight patients with intermittent claudication—bilateral in 17—were included
in a 12 weeks of structured home-based exercise program. The pain-free and maximal
walking distances were determined on a treadmill. Saturation and flow, monitored by
O2C, were examined immediately before and after the treadmill test. O2C examination
took place before as well as after completion of the exercise program. Ankle–brachial
index was obtained before treadmill testing.
Results As expected, walking performance improved significantly without affecting ankle pressures.
Neither oxygen saturation nor flow, assessed at 2 mm depth, was affected following
a 12 weeks of exercise program. We observed a significant decrease in oxygen saturation
and flow upon treadmill testing in the both limbs in patients with bilateral peripheral
arterial disease (PAD). In contrast, the treadmill test elicited no changes in the
opposite and asymptomatic limb in patients with only unilateral PAD.
Conclusion The findings suggest that O2C may be used to study microcirculatory changes. However,
it is best suited for the study of phenomena resulting in major changes as it eliminates
some inherent variability.
Keywords
claudication - atherosclerosis - ischemia - lower extremity - peripheral artery disease
