Venous Capacity, Venous Refill Time and the Effectiveness of the Calf Muscle Pump in Normal Subjects

Abstract

With strain gauge plethysmography various procedures to assess the competence of the venous system in the lower leg were compared in 10 normal subjects. The reproducibility and ease of use were established, and normal values were obtained. It is concluded, that measurements in the sitting position are preferable to those in the standing position. To measure the venous capacity, the dependency test is the method of choice. Rhythmic exercise to assess the effectiveness of the calf muscle pump can be restricted to five successive contractions. The refill time after exercise is not a suitable parameter to assess the competence of the venous valves.