Mobility in Patients with Venous Leg Ulceration

Abstract

Mobility patterns among patients with leg ulcers are not significantly different to age matched controls. Ulcer patients take fewer steps per week compared to controls indicating they have reduced calf muscle pump function. Further studies are required to determine whether therapies which increase calf muscle activity have a role in ulcer treatment.

A Study of Leg Edema in Immobile Patients

“…ClarkeMoloney et al also reported that mobility patterns among patients with venous leg ulcers were not significantly different from the mobility patterns in age-matched controls; however, patients with ulcers took fewer steps per week. 21 We could not find any relation between onset-to-visit time or immobility status and clinical severity. However, many patients could not remember exactly when they started to have leg edema, and also we did not know exactly how they were living at home.…”

Direct measurement of human movement by accelerometry

“…[17,22,69,92,118] have all been monitored by accelerometry in clinical and non-clinicalbased studies. Many studies involving these groups have been accelerometry validation studies, i.e.…”

“…The monitor also provides data for energy expenditure (MET.hours, Physical Activity Level (PAL), kCAL) that is derived from the activity parameters; however, these have not been independently validated. The activPAL TM has been used for various clinical studies involving prosthetics and lower limb amputees [108][109][110], back pain [111], osteoporosis [112], cerebral palsy [113], the elderly [114][115][116], cardiology [117], venous ulceration [118], stroke [119] and motoric subtyping of delirium [27].…”

A programmable and portable NMES device for drop foot correction and blood flow assist applications

“…A more recent application of portable NMES under realtime control is NMES blood flow assist [11][12][13]. These studies indicate that NMES may prove useful in the treatment of patients with venous ulceration who have reduced mobility or reduced ankle range movements.…”