Abstract

Intermittent pneumatic compression is part of the current standard of care model for preventing venous thromboembolic events (VTE) after total joint arthroplasty. Pneumatic motors limit the rate of inflation resulting in bulky devices with uncomfortable sleeves that inhibited patient compliance and mobility. Non-pneumatic mechanical; devices are an alternative for providing mobile, graded, intermittent, sequential, rapid, and monitorable compression post-hospitalization. Fifteen healthy volunteers underwent mechanical compression using the Cirvo (Radial Medical, Mountain View, CA) as well as pneumatic compression with four commercially available systems (VenaFlow Elite, Kendall SCD Compression System, ActiveCare DVT, Vasculaire Compression System,) and manual calf compression. Peak flow velocity (PFV) was measured by ultrasound of the femoral vein during compression and at baseline. Mechanical compression for 1 second resulted in a significant increase in femoral venous PFV to 107.8 ± 38.2 cm/s from 17.1 ± 4.7 cm/s at baseline (p < 0.001, Figure 2). The change in femoral venous PFV with mechanical compression for 1 second (90.7 ± 34.9 cm/s) was not statistically different from pneumatic compression from VenaFlow system (106.0 ± 35.6 cm/s, p = 0.124) and statistically lower than manual calf compression (115.5 ± 26.8 cm/s, p = 0.015). Pneumatic compression from VenaFlow system produced the largest change in femoral venous PFV of all commercial pneumatic systems tested. Mechanical compression replicates or exceeds femoral venous PFV available from currently available intermittent pneumatic compression. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

View details for DOI 10.1002/jor.24664

View details for PubMedID 32175638