STUDY QUESTION Is interspinous process device implantation more effective in the short term (eight weeks) than conventional surgical decompression for patients with intermittent neurogenic claudication due to lumbar spinal stenosis? SUMMARY ANSWER The use of interspinous implants did not result in a better outcome than conventional decompression, but the reoperation rate was significantly hig...

Pentoxifylline was first introduced in Germany twenty years ago. Today it is the best researched oral drug for intermittent claudication. A total of seventeen placebo-controlled trials could be retrieved from the world literature. The majority of these studies show that pentoxifylline will prolong the walking distance in a statistically significant way. Even though these trials are conducted wi...

OBJECTIVE To identify the components of exercise rehabilitation programs that were most effective in improving claudication pain symptoms in patients with peripheral arterial disease. DATA SOURCES English-language articles were identified by a computer search using Index Medicus and MEDLINE, followed by an extensive bibliography review. STUDY SELECTION Studies were included if they provided...

BACKGROUND This study sought to determine possible effects of different antiplatelet therapies on walking exercise performance in intermittent claudication. Aspirin, in contrast to clopidogrel, interferes with processes that increase collateral conductance in an ischemic animal model. METHODS AND RESULTS Patients with stable intermittent claudication were recruited from 21 centers in Switzerl...

OBJECTIVE To estimate walking capacity in intermittent claudication patients through a prediction model based on clinical characteristics and the walking impairment questionnaire. METHODS The sample included 133 intermittent claudication patients of both genders aged between 30 and 80 years. Data regarding clinical characteristics, the walking impairment questionnaire and treadmill walking te...

BACKGROUND Current guidelines recommend supervised exercise therapy (SET) as the preferred initial treatment for patients with intermittent claudication. The availability of SET programmes is, however, limited and such programmes are often not reimbursed. Evidence for the long-term cost-effectiveness of SET compared with endovascular revascularization (ER) as primary treatment for intermittent ...

Arm cranking is a useful alternative exercise modality for improving walking performance in patients with intermittent claudication; however, the mechanisms of such an improvement are poorly understood. The main aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of arm-crank exercise training on lower-limb O2 delivery in patients with intermittent claudication. A total of 57 patients with ...

PURPOSE To study the results including long-term follow-up obtained with endovascular treatment of patients with intermittent claudication who did not experience clinical improvement with conservative treatment. METHODS From January 1992 to January 2002, 62 of 1380 patients (4.5%) with intermittent claudication underwent endovascular treatment and were followed up for up to 120 months (mean 7...

PURPOSE Lumbar spinal stenosis typically presents with neurogenic intermittent claudication. The aim of this study was to investigate cauda equina conduction time (CECT) in patients with neurogenic intermittent claudication caused by lumbar spinal stenosis and its relationship with age and body height in normal subjects. METHODS The study included 172 normal subjects (group C) (mean age 44.1 ...