Local regulation of blood flow in peripheral tissue

Patients suffering from proximal occlusive arterial disease with rest pain in the foot get relief from their pain when the foot is lowered. The rest pain suggests ischemia of the foot. Lassen & Westling (1969) proposed that during lowering blood flow increases in ischemic areas and decreases in nonischemic areas. The relief of rest pain during lowering is in all probability due to this increase blood flow in ischemic areas. That flow really increases in the critical tissue areas was shown by Henriksen in 1974. The flow decrease in non-threatened areas was also demonstrated in this study. Since then, postural blood flow regulation in peripheral tissue has been studied in much detail and a clearer understanding of the mechanisms underlying this favourable redistribution of flow observed in such patients has emerged. A review of these studies is presented.