Mechanism of using VFP for prevention of VTE
intermuscular DVT, VTE, DVT
STASIS, CONTRACTION, DVT
The mechanism of using VFP for the prevention of VTE involves venous hemodynamics of the lower extremity, which is mainly relevant to the physiology of the human plantar venous pump. Through pulsatile pressure release, VFP promotes venous blood return by rapidly squeezing blood from the plantar venous plexus back into the lower limbs [However, VFP has a minimal impact on the venous blood flow between the calf muscles, which might explain why the incidence of intermuscular DVT was 12.7% and the distal DVT was only 3.1% in the present study. Hence, additional interventions are recommended to promote blood return to intermuscular veins of the lower leg when using VFP. Ankle pump exercises as one of the commonly used basic prophylactic measures can activate the calf muscle pump, which accelerates venous blood flow in the lower limbs and alleviates blood stasis through regular contraction and relaxation occurring in the calf flounder and tibialis anterior muscles [