DOI: 10.24019/issn.2532-0831

Online ISSN 2532-0831

Journal of Theoretical and Applied Vascular Research

Journal website: http://www.vasculab.eu/jtavr.xml

JTAVR 2017;2(1): EPub Ahead of Print

Paradoxical ankle venous pressure in standing and walking compared to the venous blood column height

C Franceschi¹

Abstract The mechanism responsible for the pressure at the foot in standing still lower than expected by the height of the venous blood column, is controversial. It can be theoretically explained by the hydrostatic laws if we consider the vacuum pressure in the head and thoracic veins and the continuity of the blood column from the feet up to the top of the head without including the dynamic flow which is, according to Bernouilli equation, independent of height, even in vivo conditions. The additional lowering of the pressure when walking is due to the discontinuity of the blood column achieved by the dynamic closure of the valves alternatively proximally and distally to the muscular pumps of the legs. A theoretical model is proposed, illustrated by a video plain experimentation.