Oxygen pressure values in the ischemic muscle tissue of patients with chronic occlusive arterial disease.

For 3 years tissue oxygen pressure has been measured directly in the ischemic muscle of patients with chronic arterial diseases. The measuring procedure is nearly atraumatic, without pain, has no side effects, and can be performed or repeated within 10 min. The present method gives objective and quantitative data for oxygen supply to tissue and therefore muscular microcirculation. It can be used for pathophysiological studies, for diagnostic purposes, and for objective quantification of therapeutic measures.