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Plantar flexion as an alternative to treadmill exercise for evaluating patients with intermittent claudication
K Yamamoto1, T Miyata, A Onozuka
1Division of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
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.
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