Non-Healing Ulcers Without Critical Limb Ischemia

Summary

Background: Lower limb arterial revascularization procedures, either percutaneously or surgically performed, are an established treatment modality of ischemic foot ulcers, especially in the setting of a critical limb ischemia. Many other lower limb ulcers are secondary to a combined disease, which may include a concomitant venous disease (chronic venous insufficiency or varicous disease) or a micro-angiopathic disease (i.e. small vessel disease). In this setting, and especially in the absence of a concomitant severe macro-angiopathic disease, the safety and efficacy of a percutaneous lower limb revascularization have so far never been evaluated in a prospective study.

Aim: This study is aimed to evaluate the safety and the efficacy of an endovascular revascularization approach of the lower limb, in all consecutive patients presenting with a non-healing ulcer associated with a mild to moderate peripheral artery disease (i.e. mixed-origin ulcers).

Material and methods: This prospective study will consecutively include all patients presenting with a non-healing ulcer. Included patients must have all the concomitant ulcer co-factors being adequately treated for at least 6 months. Accordingly, an underlying venous disease, infectious disease or inflammatory disorder must be previously evaluated and adequately treated (i.e. compression stocking, varices stripping, antibiotics, local ± systemic anti-inflammatory, etc.). Furthermore, a non-invasive arterial evaluation must be obtained in all patients. The arterial screening must included an ankle-brachial index (ABI) and toe pressure (TP) measurements, a trans-cutaneous oxygen measurement (tcPO2) at the foot and calf levels and a non-invasive arterial mapping (i.e. angio-CT or angio-MRI). This arterial work-up must be compatible with the presence of a mild to moderate peripheral artery disease without any sign or criteria suggesting the presence of a critical limb ischemia.

End-points: The success rate of perform an endovascular revascularization intervention in all consecutive patients which qualify according to the inclusion criteria (technical feasibility). Establish the proportion of procedural related complications (safety). Analyze the clinical and the para-clinical improvements in term of heal of the ulcers, as well as the improvement of the ABI, TP, tcPO2 at 1 week, 1-3-6 months after the procedure (efficacy).

Sample size: The investigators plan to include ≈ 30 patients in two years. After 1 year of enrollment the investigators will perform an interim analysis and will decide at that moment, according to the observed end-points, if prolonging the study would be of any scientific value or if the study has to be interrupt earlier because of a significant improvement of all already treated ulcers.

Conditions

• Peripheral Artery Disease Without Critical Limb Ischemia

Interventions

PROCEDURE

Angioplasty of the lower limbs vessels

Standard revascularization techniques will be used in the study

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University Hospital, Geneva

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

NA

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Model

SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2012-08-31

Primary Completion

2014-08-31

Completion

2015-08-31

Countries

• Switzerland

Study Locations