Ergography of crural muscles in the diagnosis of arterial occlusive diseases of the lower extremities

: Under examination there were 280 patients with obliterating diseases of lower extremity arteries using the methods of selective ergometry of musculus gastrocnemius. It was established that initial stages of the disease were characterized by 10-fold decrease of working capacity of leg muscles. With progress of ischemia and longer duration of the disease and simultaneously decreased volume of work the strength of a single muscular contraction dropped, their average and maximum instantaneous power decreased which demonstrates the development of degenerative alterations in muscles. Bilateral lesion of the arteries was diagnosed in 85% of patients with complaints about ischemic pains in one extremity. Selective ergography may be used for diagnosing preclinical forms of the disease and objective evaluation of the results of treatment.