J Korean Acad Rehabil Med.  2008 Jun;32(3):313-318.

Evaluation of Vascular Response using Impedance Plethysmography in Patients with Spinal Cord Injury

• Cha YS
• Ko HY
• Shin YB
• Sohn HJ
• Chang JH
• Lee JH
• Ha YH
• Moon HJ
• Park HU

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
To determine abnormal vascular response to cuff ischemia in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI). METHOD: Ankle blood pressure (ABP) and ankle-brachial index (ABI) in 20 SCI patients (14 men, 6 women, mean age 39.8 years) and control group (14 men, 6 women, mean age 40.2 years) were measured using impedance plethysmography at rest and after distal thigh cuff compression for 5 and 10 minutes. The patients were divided into tetraplegia (10), paraplegia (10), complete injury (8) and incomplete injury (12).
RESULTS
There was no significant difference in ABP and ABI at rest and 5 minutes of ischemic compression between the patients and control groups. However, ABP and ABI decreased more at 10 minutes of ischemic compression in SCI compared to control groups (p<0.001). Changes of ABP and ABI between tetraplegia and paraplegia were not different. Complete injury of SCI decreased more than incomplete injury at 10 minutes of ischemia in the APB and ABI (p<0.001).
CONCLUSION
Vascular control was significantly impaired in patients with spinal cord injury. Impedance plethysmography can be a useful and objective tool in evaluation of vascular response for the patients with spinal cord injury.

Keyword

Vascular response; Impedance plethysmography; Spinal cord injury; Ankle-brachial index

MeSH Terms

Animals
Ankle
Ankle Brachial Index
Blood Pressure
Electric Impedance
Female
Humans
Ischemia
Male
Paraplegia
Plethysmography, Impedance
Quadriplegia
Spinal Cord
Spinal Cord Injuries
Thigh