Liv Kristin Sundheim1,2, Ane Halse Sporastøyl1,2, Torjus Wester1,3, Göran Salerud4, Knut Kvernebo1,2. 1. Circulation Laboratory, Department of Cardio-thoracic Surgery, Oslo University Hospital, Ullevaal, Norway. 2. Medical Faculty, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway. 3. Department of Plastic Surgery, Østfold Hospital Trust, Grålum, Norway. 4. Department of Biomedical Engineering, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Superficial skin papillary capillaries with blood supply from a superficial vascular plexus and regulated by local metabolic needs supply oxygen and nutrients for epithelial cell proliferation. A deep vascular plexus regulated by autonomous nerves serves body thermoregulation. In healthy volunteers, we assessed circulatory effects of a standardized skin trauma by CAVM, DRS, and LDPM to assess the measuring depth of the three techniques and to describe the acute trauma effects on nutritive and thermoregulatory perfusion. METHODS: Volunteers (n=12) were examined at baseline and after induction of a 5.0 mm×1.0 mm incision on the forearm; 30 minutes after the trauma induction, data were collected at 0-1, 2-3 and 30 mm distances. RESULTS: LDPM showed hyperemia at 2-3 mm distance (35.8±15.2 a.u.), but not at 30 mm distance (7.4±2.5 a.u.) compared to baseline (8.8±1.8 a.u.). The DRS saturation increased at 2-3 mm (71.2±4.8%), but not at 30 mm (49.8±7.9%) compared to baseline (45.8±7.4%). Capillary density and flow velocities were unaffected at all distances. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that skin nutritive papillary capillary function can be assessed by CAVM and DRS, but not with LDPM because of its dependence of the deep plexus perfusion.
OBJECTIVES: Superficial skin papillary capillaries with blood supply from a superficial vascular plexus and regulated by local metabolic needs supply oxygen and nutrients for epithelial cell proliferation. A deep vascular plexus regulated by autonomous nerves serves body thermoregulation. In healthy volunteers, we assessed circulatory effects of a standardized skin trauma by CAVM, DRS, and LDPM to assess the measuring depth of the three techniques and to describe the acute trauma effects on nutritive and thermoregulatory perfusion. METHODS: Volunteers (n=12) were examined at baseline and after induction of a 5.0 mm×1.0 mm incision on the forearm; 30 minutes after the trauma induction, data were collected at 0-1, 2-3 and 30 mm distances. RESULTS: LDPM showed hyperemia at 2-3 mm distance (35.8±15.2 a.u.), but not at 30 mm distance (7.4±2.5 a.u.) compared to baseline (8.8±1.8 a.u.). The DRS saturation increased at 2-3 mm (71.2±4.8%), but not at 30 mm (49.8±7.9%) compared to baseline (45.8±7.4%). Capillary density and flow velocities were unaffected at all distances. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that skin nutritive papillary capillary function can be assessed by CAVM and DRS, but not with LDPM because of its dependence of the deep plexus perfusion.