Pedal Arch Revascularization in Patients With Chronic Limb Threatening Ischemia

Revascularization is the cornerstone of Chronic limb threatening ischemia (CLTI) treatment for lower limb preservation . Endovascular revascularization is the favored approach in many centers because of its lower morbidity and mortality than open surgery . In a subset of patients with Chronic limb threatening ischemia, particularly in longstanding type 1 diabetic patients, a predominance of disease involving the pedal vessels can exist with relative sparing of the tibial vessels .The pedal arch describes the connection between the anterior and posterior circulation in the foot, this typically runs from the lateral plantar artery into the dorsalis pedis and represents the final arcade of outflow for the lower extremity vasculature . Secondary or "deep" pedal plantar loops connecting the medial and lateral tarsal arteries to the medial and lateral plantar arteries can also exist . A strong understanding of the pedal arch anatomy and its multiple connections is important for the physician performing not only pedal arch interventions, but tibial interventions as well . Familiarity with the arch anatomy increases procedural success rates in tibial intervention, as it gives the operator another collateral pathway to approach the target occlusion in a retrograde fashion . An intact pedal arch has been associated with improved wound healing, as well as a higher patency rate for bypass grafting and percutaneous interventions for inflow disease . An Angio some-directed revascularization strategy, however, has clearly been shown to improve wound healing and limb salvage rates in both surgical and endovascular series . Pedal arch intervention should therefore be considered in patients with advanced tissue loss, with a goal of restoring inline flow to the corresponding angiosomes, this could mean the difference between a major and minor amputation, as the options for these patients are limited and major amputation rates are high .