Natural history of limbs with arterial insufficiency and chronic ulceration treated without revascularization.

Objectives: The natural history of limbs affected by ischemic ulceration is poorly understood. In this report, we describe the outcome of limbs with stable chronic leg ulcers and arterial insufficiency that were treated with wound-healing techniques in patients who were not candidates for revascularization.

Methods: A prospectively maintained database of limb ulcers treated at a comprehensive wound center was used to identify patients with arterial insufficiency, defined as an ankle-brachial index (ABI) <0.