Pulsed doppler assessment of normal human femoral artery velocity patterns

Abstract

Duplex scanning permits simultaneous B-mode imaging of arteries and pulsed Doppler assessment of center stream velocity patterns. By using spectrum analysis to quantitate the frequency distribution of the reflected Doppler signal and the B-mode image to measure the Doppler angle, instantaneous flow velocity can be calculated from the Doppler equation. Resting common femoral (CFA), superficial femoral (SFA), and profunda femoris artery (PFA) maximum center stream velocity, both forward and reverse, as well as the maximum velocity response of the CFA to reactive hyperemia induced by 3 min of cuff occlusion, was calculated bilaterally in ten healthy young subjects without evidence of arterial disease. Mean forward and reverse velocities in the CFA (69.73 cm/sec ± 3.96 (SEM) and 27.51 cm/sec ± 1.56 (SEM), respectively) and SFA (70.26 cm/sec ± 3.38 (SEM) and 26.76 cm/sec ± 1.69 (SEM), respectively) were similar; however, both of these parameters were lower in the PFA (51.74 ± 2.95 (SEM) and 14.92 ± 1.09 (SEM), respectively, P < 0.001). Furthermore, the relative magnitude of the reverse velocity component in the PFA was less than in the CFA or SFA, as indicated by a lower ratio of reverse to forward velocity ( P < 0.02). Reactive hyperemia induced an increase in forward velocity in all CFAs which averaged 49.4%. Spectral evidence of transient flow disturbances was noted and the reverse component disappeared in all of these vessels for an average of 22 sec. A discussion of previous work in this field and of the possible relationship of these findings to arterial disease is presented.