New method and device for assessment of functional capacity of upper extremity with chronic ischemia.

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study is to establish an objective diagnostic method, through which the functional capacity of the upper extremity with chronic ischemia could be best assessed.

METHODS

For a 9-year period (1986-1994) 74 patients suffering Arterial Occlusive Disease (AOD) of the upper extremity with chronic ischemia were treated. Fifty five of them (74.3%) were males (an average age of 52.4 years) and 19 females (25.6%), (an average age of 42.5 years). Forty nine of them (66.2%) were in second stage according to the adapted Fontain's classification. An original method and device have been established for the investigation of the abilities of the upper extremity to make repeated movements till they get an intermittent claudication. The apparatus consists of tree modules: a mechanical device, an interface adapter and a microcomputer.

RESULTS

During the flexion of the fingers the patient overcomes the resistance of springs which is 1.82 Nm. An Ischemic Fatigue Index (IFI) is calculated--it gives the quantitative value of the functional capacity of the limb. IFI in patients in second stage of Chronic Arterial Ischemia (CAI) is from 0.14 to 0.76 during the diagnostic test and from 0.18 to 1.0 after the operative or drug treatment or Percutaneous Transluminal Angioplasty (PTA). A retrospective analysis shows that in patients who were operated on, the preoperative IFI was less than 0.50. The measurement of Arm-Arm Blood Pressure Index (AABPI) before treatment and after it in some cases shows normal values in spite of the presence of subclavian artery stenoses. The angiographies that were done could not help for the evaluation of the functional capacity of the upper extremities. The presence of pulse in 9 patients (18.4%) does not exclude a presence of occlusion.

CONCLUSIONS

IFI is a quantitative indicator for the upper extremity capacity. It shows whether the symptoms are severe enough to justify the surgery. The periodical measurement of IFI is a monitoring of the development of AOD.