Intermittent Pneumatic Compression Devices – Physiological Mechanisms of Action

There are many reports of how IPC is used effectively in the clinical setting; including the prevention of deep venous thrombosis, improvement of circulation in patients with lower extremity arterial diseases, reduction of lymphoedema, and the healing of venous ulcers. However, despite the widely ac...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:European journal of vascular and endovascular surgery 2001-05, Vol.21 (5), p.383-392
Main Authors: Chen, A.H., Frangos, S.G., Kilaru, S., Sumpio, B.E.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Arterial insufficiency
Biomechanical Phenomena
Blood Circulation - physiology
Blood Vessels - physiology
Cyclic strain
Deep venous thrombosis
Fibrinolysis
Gravity Suits
Humans
Mechanical stress
Plasminogen activator inhibitor
Pneumatic compression
Prostacyclin
Shear stress
Tissue factor pathway inhibitor
Tissue plasminogen activator
Venous insufficiency
Venous stasis
Venous Thrombosis - prevention & control
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Summary:There are many reports of how IPC is used effectively in the clinical setting; including the prevention of deep venous thrombosis, improvement of circulation in patients with lower extremity arterial diseases, reduction of lymphoedema, and the healing of venous ulcers. However, despite the widely accepted use of IPC, it is still unclear how IPC actually exerts its beneficial effects. The exact physiological mechanisms of action are unknown. The clinical utility of IPC and the putative mechanisms by which IPC could exert its therapeutic effect will be reviewed. The paper will examine the mechanical effects of IPC exerted on the lower extremity, and the subsequent biochemical changes in the circulation. In vitro studies of the effects of mechanical stress such as compressive strain and shear on cultured endothelial cells, and their clinical relevance to IPC will also be reviewed.
ISSN:1078-5884
1532-2165
DOI:10.1053/ejvs.2001.1348