Utility of a Finger-Mounted Tissue Oximeter with Near-Infrared Spectroscopy to Evaluate Limb Ischemia in Patients with Peripheral Arterial Disease

Objective: To investigate whether a finger-mounted tissue oximeter is useful in evaluating limb blood flow in patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Materials and Methods: Seventy-two patients with PAD were included, and the ankle-brachial index (ABI), transcutaneous oxygen pressure (TcPO2), and skin perfusion pressure (SPP) were measured. The regional tissue oxygenation saturation (rSO(2)) was measured using a finger-mounted tissue oximeter at the ankle, dorsal foot, and each dorsal and plantar toe. Correlations between rSO(2) and ABI and between TcPO2 and SPP were analyzed. The patients were divided into three groups: Fontaine IIa (F-IIa), IIb (F-IIb), and III and IV (F-III/IV) groups. The difference in rSO(2) between each group was analyzed. Results: Significant correlations were observed between rSO(2) and TcPO2 and between rSO(2) and SPP. TcPO2 and SPP in the F-III/IV group were significantly lower than those in the F-IIa group. rSO(2) in the F-IIb and F-III/IV groups was significantly lower than that in the F-IIa group. Conclusion: The measurement of rSO(2) using finger-mounted tissue oximetry is quick, simple, and painless. It can be used on any skin area and is useful to evaluate limb circulation in patients with PAD.