Assessing chronic wound perfusion in the lower extremity: current and emerging approaches

Abstract

Current evidence suggests that vascular and wound bed perfusion assessment should be integral to the care of people with chronic wounds in the lower extremities. Peripheral artery diseases can be insidious, with many affected individuals unaware of circulation issues and failing to seek medical help until they develop foot ulcers, gangrene, and other related complications. Measuring tissue perfusion is a useful diagnostic marker for chronic wounds and may help determine a wound's potential for healing. A complete patient history and physical examination is imperative to help determine the correct diagnosis of lower extremity ulcers. This article aims to discuss current and emerging wound perfusion assessment techniques, including ankle-brachial index, toe-brachial index, transcutaneous oxygen pressure, near-infrared spectroscopy, digital subtraction angiography, magnetic resonance angiography, computed tomographic angiography, and indocyanine green angiography.