Reversibility of Poststenotic Dilatation in the Femoral Arteries of Dogs

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Abstract
Poststenotic dilatation (PSD) was produced in the femoral arteries of 14 adult dogs. After 9 days to 5 months, the band was removed. If the murmur disappeared, as it did immediately in all but four arteries, the PSD disappeared within 24 hours (studied radiologically by painting the arteries with radio-opaque thorium dioxide). In these four, the dilatation disappeared after the murmur did. Six arteries were studied at half-hour intervals for 16 hours after removal of band. In all of these, the dilatation increased during the first half hour, and then disappeared completely in 6 to 8 hours. Long term follow-up for 6 months showed no changes in diameter after the initial 24-hour period. The altered elastic properties of the distal segment previously described for the dilated segment returned to normal soon after the band was removed. The mechanism of this change is unknown, but may be produced by alterations of elastin crosslinks by vibration. We conclude that poststenotic dilatation is reversible, at least in the femoral arteries of dogs, if correction of the stenosis is associated with disappearance of the turbulence. The change is very rapid, and so does not appear related to synthesis of new connective tissue.