title: Prospective trial of infrapopliteal artery balloon angioplasty for critical limb ischemia: angiographic and clinical results.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the safety and efficacy of infrapopliteal percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) as a primary treatment of chronic critical limb ischemia in a prospective trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  Infrapopliteal PTA was performed on 72 limbs of 60 patients (mean age, 72 y; range, 38-92 y) and patients were followed for 12-24 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The primary angiographic success rate for the stenoses was 84% (102 of 121) and that for the occlusions was 61% (41 of 67) with corresponding restenosis rates of 32% and 52% at follow-up angiography performed a mean of 10 months after primary PTA. The rate of major complications was 2.8% (access site pseudoaneurysms in two patients). The primary clinical success was 63% (45 of 72). A 48% cumulative primary patency rate, a 56% secondary patency rate, and a 80% cumulative limb salvage rate were registered at 18 months, as determined with use of Kaplan-Meier analysis. Lack of angiographic improvement at the site of the most severe ischemia and renal insufficiency (serum creatinine level > 130 micromol/L) were independent predictors of poorer long-term clinical results, as determined with use of Cox multiple regression analysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Infrapopliteal PTA is a feasible primary treatment of chronic critical limb ischemia with moderate primary angiographic and clinical success, a low complication rate, and a cumulative limb salvage rate comparable with surgical techniques.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Radiology, Kuopio University Hospital, Finland. heini.soder@kuh.fi
authors.forename: H K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Söder
authors.forename: H I
authors.initials: HI
authors.lastname: Manninen
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jaakkola
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Matsi
authors.forename: H T
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Räsänen
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kaukanen
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Loponen
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Soimakallio
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000792:Angiography; D000800:Angioplasty, Balloon; D001157:Arterial Occlusive Diseases / Q000628:therapy; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007511:Ischemia / Q000628:therapy*; D007866:Leg / Q000098:blood supply*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011150:Popliteal Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014654:Vascular Patency