title: Functional lengths of the lower limb arterial tree measured by CT angiography centreline analysis: implications for catheter lengths in peripheral angioplasty.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Lower limb angioplasty is a common procedure. However, arterial lengths have not been well studied and there is no evidence base for the optimum catheter lengths required for the various applications of femoral or distal below-the-knee angioplasty. The industry standard catheter measures 80 cm.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty CT angiograms were post-processed using vessel tracking and centreline analysis tools and lengths were measured from the ipsilateral first segment of the femoral artery (FSFA) (common femoral artery) to the contralateral FSFA and on to the second segment of the femoral artery (superficial femoral artery) and popliteal arteries down to the posterior tibial (PT) artery at the ankle. This allowed clinically meaningful lengths for 'cross-over' and 'antegrade' angioplasty to be calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean cross-over length to the second segment of the femoral artery as it crossed the femoral cortex was 72.3 cm, and the mean cross-over length to the popliteal artery at the knee joint was 83.8 cm, and the length from the FSFA to the PT was 85.1 cm.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Selection of a standard length catheter can result in a situation where the catheter is too short. Optimum catheter length for a particular task will reduce the need for catheter exchanges and use of multiple balloons and therefore reduce complications, procedure time, radiation dose and cost.
authors: Department of Radiology, Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Essex, UK.
authors: Asif
authors: A
authors: Naleem
authors: Ali
authors: A
authors: Zaman
authors: Kai
authors: K
authors: Low
authors: Matthew D
authors: MD
authors: Tam
mesh_terms: D000792:Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D017130:Angioplasty / Q000379:methods; D002406:Catheterization, Peripheral / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D035002:Lower Extremity / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D011857:Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*
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