A Simple Scale for Screening Lower-Extremity Arterial Disease as a Possible Cause of Low Back Pain: a Cross-sectional Study Among 542 Subjects.

Background: Epidemiological, imaging, and anatomical studies suggest an association between proximal arterial atherosclerosis and development of low back pain (LBP).

Objectives: We aimed to define (1) the frequency and (2) factors associated with exercise-induced proximal ischemia (EIPI) in individuals with LBP and (3) develop a clinical screening scale.

Design: Monocentric cross-sectional study.

Treadmill Measured vs. Questionnaire Estimated Changes in Walking Ability in Patients With Peripheral Artery Disease.

Objective: Determining the maximum walking time (MWT) using the treadmill test is the gold standard method for evaluating walking capacity and treatment effect in patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD). However, self reported functional disability is important when assessing quality of life. Changes in the Walking Estimated Limitation Calculated by History (WELCH) questionnaire scores were compared with the MWT.

Intra-test and test-retest reliability of exercise oximetry in arterial claudication.

Background: Transcutaneous oxygen pressure (tcpO2) reliability is blunted by an unpredictable transcutaneous gradient through the skin. We hypothesized that the "Decrease from Rest of Oxygen pressure (DROP: subtraction of limb-changes from chest-changes from the respective starting values) would show a good to excellent reliability during Exercise -tcpO2 investigations.

Methods: In three different experiments we tested: The intra-test variability at the peripheral level (Experiment A: 32 patients, 16 at each location), at the chest level (Experiment B: 45 patients) and the test-retest reproducibility within 3 months (Experiment C: 67 patients).