• Share
• E-mail
• Print

—Christopher P. Cheng, PhD, et al published findings from a study that sought to describe geometric changes of the superficial femoral artery (SFA) resulting from hip and knee flexion in older patients. The investigators noted that vessel deformations have been implicated in endoluminal device fractures, and therefore, better understanding of these deformations could be valuable for device regulation, evaluation, and design. The study was published in the Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology (2010;21:195-202).

As detailed by the investigators, the SFAs of seven healthy patients aged 50 to 70 years were imaged with magnetic resonance angiography with the legs straight and with hip and knee flexion. Axial, twisting, and bending deformations were quantified from geometric models constructed from these images.

The investigators found that there was greater shortening in the bottom third of the SFA than in the top two-thirds (top, 5.9% ± 3%; middle, 6.7% ± 2.1%; bottom, 8.1% ± 2% [mean ± SD]; P < .05), significant twist in all sections (top, 1.3 ± 0.8°/cm; middle, 1.8 ± 1.1°/cm; bottom, 2.1 ± 1.3°/cm), and a greater curvature increase in the bottom third than in the top two-thirds (top, 0.15 ± 0.06 cm^-1; middle, 0.09 ± 0.07 cm^-1; bottom, 0.41 ± 0.22 cm^-1; P < .001).

The investigators observed that the SFA tends to deform more in the bottom third than in the other sections, likely because of less musculoskeletal constraint distal to the adductor canal and vicinity of knee flexion. The SFAs of these older subjects curve off axis with normal joint flexion, probably resulting from known loss of arterial elasticity with age. This slackening of the vessel enables a method for noninvasive quantification of in vivo SFA strain, which may be valuable for treatment planning and device design. In addition, the spatially resolved arterial deformations quantified in this study may be useful for commercial and regulatory device evaluation, the investigators concluded.

Click here for more industry news and clinical trial updates.

Comment on this Article:

You must be logged in to leave a comment.

TOP 5 ARTICLES FROM 2010

• Chronic Cerebrospinal Venous Insufficiency

  A new paradigm and therapy for multiple sclerosis.

  by Salvatore J.A. Sclafani, MD
  Commentary by Michael D. Dake, MD,
  and Barry T. Katzen, MD

• CREST Data Show Equivalence Between CAS and CEA
• Before You Place That Filter …

  A guide to IVC filter placement and troubleshooting procedural challenges.

  by Ulku Cenk Turba, MD; Saher S. Sabri, MD; Wael E.A. Saad, MD; Auh Whan Park, MD; John F. Angle, MD; and Alan H. Matsumoto, MD

• EVAR Versus Open Repair for rAAA

  Frank J. Veith, MD, discusses recent data that reveal the benefits of EVAR over open repair in ruptured aneurysm patients.

• Obtaining Optimal Filter Placement

  How imaging and technical skill ensure safe placement of an IVC filter.

  by Mark W. Burket, MD