Subintimal and intraluminal recanalisation of occluded crural arteries by percutaneous balloon angioplasty.

Advances in radiological techniques have allowed successful treatment of arterial stenoses situated in the distal arterial tree. This paper describes the experience at Leicester Royal Infirmary with percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) for the treatment of occluded crural arteries. Over a 27 month period, 21 patients with 24 ischaemic limbs have undergone PTA for crural artery occlusion. PTA was attempted in a total of 29 occluded crural arteries with a median length of occlusion of 6 cm (range 1-30 cm). Intraluminal recanalisation was used for short occlusions and the subintimal technique for long occlusions. Technical success with angiographic recanalisation of the artery was achieved in 25 out of 29 crural vessels (86%). Endovascular treatment of crural artery occlusion appears to be a safe and effective treatment which avoids the need for femorodistal surgery in patients with occluded calf vessels.