[Methodical aspects of pneumatic segment plethysmography. II. The problem of cuff width and cuff-pressure]

Pneumatic segment-plethysmography was used to investiage the influence of different cuff-widths and cuff-pressures on arterial inflow to the calf. It was demonstrated that 1. using consistently 80 Torr for the small respectively 50 Torr for the wide cuff no significant difference for small suprapatellar thigh-circumferences was found. On the contrary for large suprapatellar thigh-circumferences there was a statistically significant difference of the arterial inflow; 2. using both cuffs for all thigh-circumferences, a confirmity of arterial inflow was found if a coupling-factor was individually calculated in each case from upper arm- and thigh-pressure; 3. the arterial inflow to the calf did not differ at pressures of 42 Torr and 50 Torr, whereas at 70 Torr arterial inflow was significantly diminished.