In Vivo Morphological Changes of the Femoropopliteal Arteries due to Knee Flexion After Endovascular Treatment of Popliteal Aneurysm

Giovanni Spinella, Alice Finotello, Bianca Pane, Giancarlo Salsano, Simone Mambrini, Alexey Kamenskiy, Valerio Gazzola, Giuseppe Cittadini, Ferdinando Auricchio, Domenico Palombo, Michele Conti

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

8 Scopus citations

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate morphological changes of the femoropopliteal (FP) arteries due to limb flexion in patients undergoing endovascular treatment of popliteal artery aneurysms (PAAs). Materials and Methods: Seven male patients (mean age 68 years) underwent endovascular treatment of PAA with a Viabahn stent-graft between January 2013 and December 2017. During follow-up, one contrast-enhanced computed tomography angiography (CTA) scan of the lower limbs was acquired for each recruited patient. A standardized CTA protocol for acquisitions in both straight-leg and bent-leg positions was used to visualize changes in artery shape due to limb flexion. Three-dimensional reconstruction of the FP segment was performed to compute mean diameter and eccentricity of the vascular lumen and to measure length, tortuosity, and curvature of the vessel centerline in 3 arterial zones: (A) between the origin of the superficial femoral artery and the proximal end of the stent-graft, (B) within the stent-graft, and (C) from the distal end of the stent-graft to the origin of the anterior tibial artery. Results: After limb flexion, all zones of the FP segment foreshortened: 6% in zone A (p=0.001), 4% in zone B (p=0.001), and 8% in zone C (p=0.07), which was the shortest (mean 4.5±3.6 cm compared with 23.8±5.7 cm in zone A and 23.6±7.4 cm in zone B). Tortuosity increased in zone A (mean 0.03 to 0.05, p=0.03), in zone B (0.06 to 0.15, p=0.005), and in zone C (0.027 to 0.031, p=0.1). Mean curvature increased 15% (p=0.05) in zone A, 27% (p=0.005) in zone B, and 95% (p=0.06) in zone C. In all zones, the mean artery diameter and eccentricity were not significantly affected by limb flexion. Conclusion: Limb flexion induces vessel foreshortening and increases mean curvature and tortuosity of the FP segment both within and outside the area of the stent-graft.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)496-504
Number of pages9
JournalJournal of Endovascular Therapy
Volume26
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 1 2019

Keywords

  • endovascular treatment
  • femoropopliteal segment
  • foreshortening
  • limb flexion
  • medical image analysis
  • morphology
  • popliteal artery aneurysm
  • stent-graft
  • superficial femoral artery
  • tortuosity

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Surgery
  • Radiology Nuclear Medicine and imaging
  • Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine

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