Femoral venous flow velocity during passive ankle exercise in patients with chronic spinal cord injury

This study examined how passive ankle exercises affect blood flow in the legs of people with long-term spinal cord injuries, who often have muscle loss. The researchers compared blood flow in the femoral vein (a major leg vein) between individuals with spinal cord injury and able-bodied individuals, both at rest and during passive ankle exercises. The study found that while passive ankle exercise did increase blood flow in both groups, the increase was less pronounced in those with spinal cord injury, likely due to muscle loss.

• 1
  Chronic SCI patients had significant leg muscle atrophy, with muscle thickness being 67.2% that of able-bodied participants.
• 2
  Passive ankle exercise increased time-averaged mean velocity (TAMV) in both SCI and able-bodied groups compared to resting values.
• 3
  Venous flow velocity during passive ankle exercise was reduced in SCI patients compared to the able-bodied group, with the TAMV in SCI being 65.9% that of the able-bodied group.