Blood flow redistribution in the dog paw

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Blood flow in the dog hindpaw was studied during peripheral nerve stimulation. Inflow at the dorsal pedal artery level was maintained constant with a pump and monitored with a flowmeter. Digital artery blood flow and pres-sure were recorded simultaneously. Changes in digital artery flow, in the face of the constant inflow, were taken as evidence of redistribution. The distal stump of the sciatic nerve and 3 of its major branches, tibial, deep and superficial fibular nerves, were stimulated at frequencies of 0. 5/sec. - 25/sec. Redistribution of blood flow occurred in 43 of 44 nerve stimulations at frequencies of 25/sec., and in 35 of 37 stimulations at frequencies of 0. 5/sec. - 10/sec. Decreases in digital artery flow occurred in 38 of 44 (86[degree]/o) stimulations at 25/sec., and in 29 of 37 (78%) of those at lower stimulation frequencies. No statistically significant difference was present between responses to stimulations of different nerves. The blood flow redistribution indicates that the dog paw vasculature does not react homogeneously to peripheral nerve stimulation.