Pulse-generated runoff: a new method of determining calf vessel patency.

A non-invasive method of determining calf vessel patency before femorodistal bypass has been developed. This pulse-generated runoff (PGR) system generates blood flow in patent calf arteries by means of a pulsatile cuff even if the existing Doppler signal is inaudible. PGR was compared with pre-operative arteriography in 95 ischaemic limbs and both were compared with the peripheral resistance measured at operation in 62 limbs. There was a highly significant correlation between the PGR and arteriogram scores (rs = 0.74, P less than 0.001) but PGR tended to detect more patent vessels than arteriography. The peripheral resistance correlated better with PGR than arteriography (rs = -0.71 and -0.54 respectively, P less than 0.001). PGR is a simple, non-invasive method of determining calf and foot vessel patency pre-operatively.