Bioelectric impedance analysis of lower leg ischaemic muscles

The principal aim of the authors´ research was to explore the possibility of early diagnostics of ischaemic changes in lower extremities, using bipolar bioimpedance measurement. Acute or chronic ischaemia of lower legs often leads to pathological changes in skeletal muscles but appearance of these changes is not always accompanied by manifestation of severe circulation changes but by manifestation of increased tissue pressure and structure changes. Using MultiFrequency BioImpedance Analysis (MFBIA), these changes can be detected in early phase, especially in the patients with "one extremity syndrome" (only one leg with severe changes). MFBIA in frequency range from 100 Hz to 1 MHz, using bipolar technique gives diagnostically significant results. Results, obtained on claudicants and patients suffering from compartmental syndrome, chronic or acute ischaemic troubles, are presented and discussed.