The radiological assessment of disease of the profunda femoris artery

Abstract

In two series with a total of 135 patients with symptoms due to occlusive vascular disease of the lower limbs, 39 per cent of the 209 limbs studied showed narrowing of the origin of the profunda artery. In 68 per cent of the narrowed arteries the abnormality was seen only on oblique or lateral radiographs. When the superficial femoral artery is occluded, the profunda femoris artery is the main artery supplying the lower limb, and narrowing of this vessel may be of considerable functional importance. Localized narrowing of the origin of the profunda artery is common but is often unrecognized because the artery is not adequately demonstrated by standard frontal view arteriography. Adequate arteriography is a necessary preliminary to reconstructive surgery of the profunda femoris artery.