Muscle and subcutaneous oxygen tension. Measurements by mass spectrometry after sympathectomy.

Utilizing the mass spectrometer, tissue oxygen tension (TPO2) in the resting state was measured in the extremities of ten dogs before and after lumbar sympathectomy. Although there was considerable variation between individual dogs, significant changes in tissue oxygenation were not consistently obtained in the group as a whole, althouth femoral arterial blood flow increased in all animals. Using TPO2 changes to estimate perfusion, no significant increase in nutritive flow could be demonstrated.