Intramuscular pressure, blood flow, and skeletal muscle metabolism in patients with venous claudication.

Nine patients with chronic iliac vein obstruction and venous claudication were investigated. Intramuscular pressure was measured in the anterior tibial and the deep posterior compartments in both legs at rest and during exercise. The pressures were significantly higher in the leg with iliac vein obstruction (39 +/- 10 mm Hg) than in the contralateral leg (26 +/- 12 mm Hg) at rest as well as during exercise (60 +/- 16 mm Hg and 41 +/- 15 mm Hg, respectively) in the deep posterior compartment. Similar changes were observed in the anterior tibial compartment. Muscle water content was higher (P less than 0.01) in the obstructed leg and contributes to the explanation for the high intramuscular pressure in this leg. Muscle blood flow, adenosine triphosphate, phosphocreatine, and lactate were determined in the gastrocnemius muscles at rest and at exercise. Muscle blood flow, measured with the 133xenon clearance technique, was lower in the obstructed leg (17.5 ml/min, 100 gm) than in the control leg (28.1 ml/min, 100 gm) during exercise. Lactate increased more (P less than 0.05) in the obstructed leg. It is suggested that pain in venous claudication is caused by the high intramuscular pressure, and therefore fasciotomy may be useful in the treatment of this disorder.