The impact of ankle movements on venous return flow: A comparative study

Area of Science:

• Physiology
• Vascular Biology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Understanding lower extremity venous return is crucial for preventing thromboembolic events.
• Ankle and toe movements are known to influence blood flow dynamics.
• The specific hemodynamic impact of combined ankle and toe movements on the common femoral vein requires further elucidation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the hemodynamic effects of isolated ankle movements versus combined ankle and toe movements.
• To assess the impact of different ankle and toe movement combinations on common femoral vein velocity.
• To determine if combined movements enhance venous return compared to isolated ankle actions.

Main Methods:

• Twenty-eight healthy volunteers underwent Doppler ultrasound assessment.
• Measurements included peak systolic velocity and time-averaged mean velocity of the common femoral vein.
• Evaluated movements: ankle dorsiflexion, ankle plantarflexion, and combinations with simultaneous toe movements.

Main Results:

• Both isolated ankle and combined ankle-toe movements significantly altered femoral vein velocity compared to rest (p < .01).
• No significant difference in femoral vein velocity was observed between isolated ankle movements and combined ankle-toe movements (p > .05).
• Ankle dorsiflexion demonstrated the highest peak systolic velocity among all tested movements.

Conclusions:

• While both ankle and combined ankle-toe movements affect femoral vein velocity, the addition of toe movement does not provide a significant additional hemodynamic benefit.
• Ankle dorsiflexion appears to be the most effective single movement for increasing common femoral vein blood flow velocity.
• The study suggests that isolated ankle movements are sufficient to elicit significant changes in lower extremity venous return.