Popliteal artery branches: percutaneous transluminal angioplasty.

Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty of the branches of the popliteal artery was performed in six patients, two of whom also had femoropopliteal angioplasty. Dilatation was performed with catheters ranging from 5.5 to 7 French. None of the popliteal branch dilatations was performed with an inflated balloon. Excellent dilatation, as documented by angiography and Doppler ultrasound pressure recordings, was obtained in four cases and moderate and slight improvement in one case each. Two of the four patients with excellent results had prompt healing of toe amputations and are doing well at 19 and 22 months after angioplasty. In the other two patients with excellent results, below-knee amputation was necessary despite patency of the dilated segment in one. In the other patient with initially excellent results, reocclusion occurred 4 months after angioplasty. In the patients who had moderate and slight improvement on angiography and in distal pressures, no significant clinical course change occurred. No patient had clinical deterioration after angioplasty and no significant complications occurred.