Premium
Does limb angular motion raise limb arterial pressure?
Author(s) -
Sheriff D. D.,
Mullin T. M.,
Wong B. J.,
Ladouceur M.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
acta physiologica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.591
H-Index - 116
eISSN - 1748-1716
pISSN - 1748-1708
DOI - 10.1111/j.1748-1716.2008.01912.x
Subject(s) - medicine , anatomy , blood pressure , biomedical engineering
Aim: Mechanical factors such as the muscle pump have been proposed to augment flow by several mechanisms. The potential for limb angular motion to augment local perfusion pressure (pressure = ½ρ r 2 ω 2 , where ρ is the fluid density, r the radius and ω the angular velocity) has been overlooked. We sought to test the hypothesis that limb angular motion augments limb arterial pressure. Methods: Nine human subjects performed horizontal shoulder flexion (∼±90° at 0.75 Hz for 30 s). We measured finger arterial pressure (photoplethysmography) in the moving (Trial 1) and non‐moving arm (Trial 2) in separate trials along with the pressure (strain gauge) generated at the fingers within a length of water‐filled tubing mounted on the moving arm in both trials. Results: Arm swinging raised ( P < 0.05) the mean pressure measured in the tubing by 11 ± 2 and 14 ± 2 mmHg (Trials 1 and 2 respectively). In response to exercise, the rise in mean finger arterial pressure in the swinging limb (18 ± 3 mmHg, Trial 1) exceeded ( P < 0.05) the rise in the resting limb (8 ± 2 mmHg, Trial 2) by an amount similar to the 11 mmHg rise in pressure generated in the tubing in Trial 1. Conclusions: We conclude that the swinging of a limb creates centrifugal force (a biomechanical centrifuge) which imparts additional pressure to the arteries, but not the veins owing to the venous valves, which further widens the arterial–venous pressure difference.