Peripheral artery disease causes consistent gait irregularities regardless of the location of leg claudication pain.
Hafizur Rahman, Todd Leutzinger, Mahdi Hassan and 10 others
PMID 38118246WHAT IT FOUND
People with peripheral artery disease showed similar gait impairments and walking distances regardless of whether their claudication pain was in the calf, thigh, or buttock.
The location of pain did not predict specific muscle group dysfunction.
Key findings
01Participants with PAD had similar initial and absolute claudication distances and 6-minute walk test distances regardless of the location of their claudication pain.
02Gait biomechanical parameters were altered in people with PAD compared to controls, but there were no significant differences in these parameters between the different pain location groups.
03Contrary to the hypothesis, PAD impaired the performance of all leg muscles (buttock, thigh, and calf) in a similar manner, irrespective of which muscle group was symptomatic.
STILL TO COME
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What it does not show
The study did not include patients with rest pain or tissue loss (Fontaine Stage II only). Walking speed was similar between controls and PAD groups, which may have influenced biomechanical comparisons. The study did not measure muscle oxygenation or activation, so the physiological mechanisms behind the diffuse impairment remain speculative. The 6-minute walk test course length (50 feet) was shorter than some recommended standards.
Declared interests
None declared.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that the location of a patient's claudication pain indicates which specific muscle groups are functionally impaired. This study shows that gait biomechanics and walking capacity are similarly affected across all PAD patients, regardless of whether pain is in the calf, thigh, or buttock.