Department of General Surgery, Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, TX 78234, USA.
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, TX 78234, USA.
Mil Med. 2022 Aug 25;187(9-10):1059-1064. doi: 10.1093/milmed/usac055.
Blood flow restriction therapy (BFRT) is used in scenarios ranging from muscle building in athletic performance to decreasing recovery time in postoperative orthopedic rehabilitation. The efficacy of BFRT for treating diseases has been increasingly researched; however, there has been less literature focused on establishing the safety of this therapy.
An extensive literature review pertaining to BFRT and any deleterious events related to its usage was completed by searching multiple databases, including PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library using the terms "blood flow restriction therapy" or "KAATSU."
Ten case reports, five case series, two national surveys, two questionnaires, six randomized controlled studies, and one systematic review were included. A total of 1,672 individuals reported an adverse event following BFRT use out of 25,813 individuals. Commonly reported adverse events were numbness, dizziness, subcutaneous hemorrhage, and rhabdomyolysis. There were unique adverse effects of this therapy reported in individuals with comorbid conditions, such as hypertension and thoracic outlet syndrome, which included isolated cases of central retinal vein occlusion and Paget-Schroeder syndrome.
Blood flow restriction provides tremendous opportunity with a potential for accelerated exercise rehabilitation and injury prevention. This modality could be used in the military setting to help injured active duty personnel expeditiously return to deployable status. Further prospective randomized controlled trials are warranted to further support BFRT safety; however, from this literature review, it can be concluded that BFRT can be utilized safely in the proper patient population when administered by qualified professionals who have undergone the appropriate training.
血流限制疗法（BFRT）在从运动表现中的肌肉增长到减少骨科术后康复的恢复时间等各种情况下都有应用。BFRT 治疗疾病的疗效已得到越来越多的研究，但关于该疗法安全性的文献却较少。
通过搜索多个数据库，包括 PubMed、EMBASE 和 Cochrane Library，使用“血流限制疗法”或“KAATSU”等术语，对 BFRT 及其使用相关的任何有害事件进行了广泛的文献回顾。
共纳入 10 例病例报告、5 例病例系列研究、2 项全国性调查、2 份问卷调查、6 项随机对照研究和 1 项系统评价。在 25813 名接受 BFRT 治疗的患者中，共有 1672 名患者报告了治疗后出现不良反应。常见的不良反应有麻木、头晕、皮下出血和横纹肌溶解。在患有合并症的患者中，如高血压和胸廓出口综合征，报告了该疗法的独特不良反应，包括孤立的视网膜中央静脉阻塞和 Paget-Schroeder 综合征病例。
血流限制提供了巨大的机会，具有加速运动康复和预防损伤的潜力。这种方法可用于军事环境中，帮助受伤的现役人员迅速恢复到可部署状态。需要进一步进行前瞻性随机对照试验来进一步支持 BFRT 的安全性；但是，从本次文献回顾可以得出结论，在合格的专业人员进行适当培训并对合适的患者群体进行管理时，BFRT 可以安全使用。
