Muscle blood flow after amputation. Increased flow with medullary plugging.

At below-knee amputation for arterial insufficiency in 31 patients, the muscle blood flow of quadriceps and triceps surae was measured by clearance of 99mTc pertechnetate pre- and postoperatively. In 15 patients, myoplastic amputation was performed and in 16 patients the medullary cavity of the tibial stump was plugged with cortex of the removed bone as well. Plugging caused a two-third increase in muscle blood flow.