PURPOSE

We aimed to evaluate the clinical usefulness and outcome of angiosome-oriented percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (IP-PTA) and its clinical outcome for isolated infrapopliteal lesions in diabetic critical limb ischemia.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed 70 patients (82 limbs) with diabetic critical limb ischemia who had localized disease at the level of the infrapopliteal artery. Patients underwent IP-PTA between January 2011 and December 2013 and were followed up for a mean of 13 months. The primary target arterial lesions were chosen according to the angiosome concept. We evaluated clinical findings, technical success, and patients’ clinical outcome. The angiographic outcome of IP-PTA was assessed using the angiosome score. We analyzed the relationship between the angiosome score and the amputation rate.

RESULTS

There were 69 anterior tibial artery (ATA) lesions, 70 posterior tibial artery (PTA) lesions, and 58 peroneal artery (PA) lesions. The primary target arteries were the ATA (n=43), PTA (n=26), PA (n=2), and ATA + PTA (n=11). We divided the treated limbs into target (n=63) and nontarget (n=19) groups. The overall initial technical success rate was 91.4%. Successful wound healing rates were 87.3% (55/63) and 47.3% (9/19) in the target and nontarget groups, respectively (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Angiosome-oriented primary targeted IP-PTA shows a highly effective treatment outcome in diabetic critical limb ischemia. In cases with inadequate angioplastic results of the target artery, IP-PTA of the nontarget artery should be recommended to improve the limb salvage rates.