Medical compression stockings reduce hypertension of nailfold capillaries at the toe of patients with chronic venous insufficiency 1

Abstract

In five patients who suffered from chronic venous insufficiency clinical stage C4 (n = 3) and C6 (n = 2) the capillary blood pressure was measured twice by means of invasive direct cannulation of nailfold capillaries of the toe. During one measurement course the patients wore below knee medical compression stockings (40 mmHg) during the other they did not have compression therapy. With the patient in supine position, the CP was investigated by the servo-nulling technique under resting conditions and under dynamic conditions: the calf-muscle/ankle joint venous pump was simulated by means of inflating a blood pressure cuff, which surrounded the mid lower leg, to 60 mmHg for 60 s. Results: The simulated calf-muscle contraction induced a steep increase of CP with 5.65 mmHg/s (Q1 5.27 mmHg/s, Q3 5.92 mmHg/s), which was significantly (p = 0.013) reduced by MCS to 2.47 mmHg/s (Q1 1.65 mmHg/s, Q3 3.0 mmHg/s). Time needed to reach the max. CP was 11.35 s, which was lengthened by MCS to 23.4 s (p = 0.134). Conclusion: Compression therapy prevents capillary hypertension, the major hemodynamic reason for the development of advanced stages of chronic venous insufficiency which are defined by skin disease like hyperpigmentation, lipodermatosclerosis and ulcer.