By Maryse Beaumier RN PhD
DOI: 10.56885/727538evqlgp
Abstract: Lower extremity wounds associated with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and diabetes carry substantial risks of morbidity, amputation and health-care burden. Although clinical guidelines recommend the ankle brachial index (ABI) as part of a comprehensive vascular assessment, its diagnostic accuracy is limited in patients with medial arterial calcification, commonly seen in diabetes, chronic kidney disease and advanced age. These limitations may lead to falsely normal ABI values and delayed recognition of PAD. The
objective of this study was to compare standard ABI calculation with an angiosome-based ABI approach that accounts for the specific arterial supply of the wound’s anatomical territory, and to determine whether this improves the accuracy and clinical relevance of ABI vascular assessment in patients with lower limb wounds. The findings support integrating angiosome-based ABI assessment into routine vascular evaluation of foot wounds.