Measurement of tendon blood flow in rabbits by microsphere uptake and 133Xe washout.

Blood flow was measured in the calcaneal tendons of rabbits using the techniques of labelled microsphere uptake and 133Xe washout simultaneously. There was no correlation between the results obtained with the two methods in individual animals. It is doubtful if the assumptions underlying the 133Xe washout technique are valid when it is used to measure blood flow in tendons.