title: Effect of compression stockings on cutaneous microcirculation: Evaluation based on measurements of the skin thermal conductivity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study of the microcirculatory effects of elastic compression stockings.
  
  
  METHODS
  In phlebology, laser Doppler techniques (flux or imaging) are widely used to investigate cutaneous microcirculation. It is a method used to explore microcirculation by detecting blood flow in skin capillaries. Flux and imaging instruments evaluate, non-invasively in real-time, the perfusion of cutaneous micro vessels. Such tools, well known by the vascular community, are not really suitable to our protocol which requires evaluation through the elastic compression stockings fabric. Therefore, we involve another instrument, called the Hematron (developed by Insa-Lyon, Biomedical Sensor Group, Nanotechnologies Institute of Lyon), to investigate the relationship between skin microcirculatory activities and external compression provided by elastic compression stockings. The Hematron measurement principle is based on the monitoring of the skin's thermal conductivity. This clinical study examined a group of 30 female subjects, aged 42 years ±2 years, who suffer from minor symptoms of chronic venous disease, classified as C0s, and C1s (CEAP).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The resulting figures show, subsequent to the pressure exerted by elastic compression stockings, an improvement of microcirculatory activities observed in 83% of the subjects, and a decreased effect was detected in the remaining 17%. Among the total population, the global average increase of the skin's microcirculatory activities is evaluated at 7.63% ± 1.80% (p < 0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results from this study show that the pressure effects of elastic compression stockings has a direct influence on the skin's microcirculation within this female sample group having minor chronic venous insufficiency signs. Further investigations are required for a deeper understanding of the elastic compression stockings effects on the microcirculatory activity in venous diseases at other stages of pathology.
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Sensor Group, Nanotechnologies Institute of Lyon, INSA-Lyon, France SIGVARIS Applied Research Department, St-Just St-Rambert, France.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Grenier
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Sensor Group, Nanotechnologies Institute of Lyon, INSA-Lyon, France.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gehin
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Sensor Group, Nanotechnologies Institute of Lyon, INSA-Lyon, France.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: McAdams
authors.affiliation: SIGVARIS Applied Research Department, St-Just St-Rambert, France.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lun
authors.affiliation: Angiologist, Lyon, France.
authors.forename: J-P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Gobin
authors.affiliation: URDIA Unit, Paris Descartes University, Paris, France jeanfrancois.uhl@gmail.com.
authors.forename: J-F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Uhl
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008833:Microcirculation; D012867:Skin / Q000098:blood supply*; D012881:Skin Temperature; D053828:Stockings, Compression; D014689:Venous Insufficiency / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy
keywords: Compression therapy; medical compression stockings; skin microcirculation; thermal skin conductivity