Between a rock and a hard place: A case of critical limb threatening ischemia treated with deep vein arterialization.

Deep vein arterialization provides an alternative approach to avoid limb amputations in patients with no other revascularization options. An athletic 28-year-old had an anterior cruciate ligament tear in an on-the-job injury. After an anterior cruciate ligament repair, he was found to have an occluded popliteal artery. An above-knee popliteal artery to posterior tibial vein bypass was performed because of a lack of bypass options. This led to the resolution of his rest pain. This salvage maneuver gave the patient at least 1 more year without amputation, showing that deep vein arterialization can be an option for young patients with trauma.