Diagnosing external iliac endofibrosis by postexercise ankle to arm index in cyclists.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to determine a noninvasive method of evaluating external iliac endofibrosis in cyclists.


METHODS
Eighteen highly trained male cyclists were divided into two groups: a pathology group (PG; 3 professional and 4 elite) and a control group (CG; 6 professional and 5 elite). Mean age was 26 +/- 6.1 yr for the PG and 24 +/- 4.09 for the CG. We studied humeral and tibial posterior pressure by using Doppler ultrasound and the ankle to arm index (AAI) before and after an incremental exercise test, performed on bike-ergometer until exhaustion. A Wilcoxon test was used to compare pressures and AAI in the PG. A Mann-Whitney test was used to compare the PG with the CG. Fisher discriminant analysis was done to obtain a classification of the legs in ill or normal legs.


RESULTS
The minimal AAI achieved in the PG was 0.76 +/- 0.13 for the normal leg (NL) and 0.35 +/- 0.04 for the ill leg (IL). We found significant differences (P < 0.01) from the 1st to 4th minute after exercise between the NL and the IL in the PG, and from the 1st to 10th minute after exercise between the IL and CG. We found significant differences in leg pressures between NL and IL in PG from the 1st to 4th minute (P < 0.01), and from the 1st to the 10th minute after exercise between CG and IL in the PG. Through discriminant analysis, we obtained a classification of the legs as ill or normal by applying a mathematical function at each recovery time studied.


CONCLUSIONS
AAI and leg pressures response to maximal exercise is a valid and noninvasive method for the evaluation of external iliac endofibrosis.
Fernández-García
Benjamin
B
Sports Medicine Department, Fundación Deportiva Municipal de Avilés, Oviedo University, Oviedo, Spain. mediccfdm@mrbit.es
Alvarez Fernández
Javier
J
Vega García
Florentino
F
Terrados
Nicolás
N
Rodríguez-Alonso
Manuel
M
Alvarez Rodríguez
Emilia
E
Rodríguez Olay
José Javier
JJ
Llaneza Coso
Jose Manuel
JM
Carreño Morrondo
Jose Antonio
JA
Angeles Menendez-Herrero
Maria
M
María Gutierrez Julián
Jose
J
D000328:Adult; D000842:Ankle / Q000098:blood supply*; D001132:Arm / Q000098:blood supply*; D001157:Arterial Occlusive Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D001642:Bicycling / Q000502:physiology*; D001795:Blood Pressure Determination / Q000379:methods*; D016002:Discriminant Analysis; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology; D005355:Fibrosis / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D007083:Iliac Artery / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D012016:Reference Values; D013848:Thigh / Q000098:blood supply