Summary
The reliability of thermography for the determination of the level of amputation for an ischaemic lower limb was compared with that of the doppler flowmeter and the clinical judgement of an experienced surgeon. The results showed that thermography tended to overestimate the degree of ischaemia and to indicate a higher level of amputation than was necessary. The advantages and the limitations of each method are discussed. It is concluded that the clinical judgement of the surgeon was the most reliable method and that the other investigations are only an adjunct to clinical assessment.
Résumé
La fiabilité de la thermographie pour déterminer le niveau d'amputation des membres inférieurs ischémiques a été comparée à celles de la mesure du Doppler et de l'appréciation clinique d'un chirurgien expérimenté. Les résultats montrent que la thermographie tend à surestimer l'étendue de l'ischémie et à indiquer un niveau d'amputation plus haut que nécessaire. On discute des avantages et des limites de chaque méthode pour conclure que l'appréciation du chirurgien est la plus sûre et que les autres examens ne constituent qu'un complément de l'évaluation clinique.
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Luk, K.D.K., Yeung, P.S. & Leong, J.C.Y. Thermography in the determination of amputation levels in ischaemic limbs. International Orthopaedics 10, 79–81 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00267745
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00267745