I. Report from the 19th European Chapter Meeting (EUROCHAP)
Fundamentals New insights into calf muscle pump function Chairmen: P Carpentier (Grenoble, France), and A Nicolaides (Nicosia, Cyprus) Pathophysiology of the calf muscle pump A Nicolaides (Nicosia, Cyprus) The important role of muscle contraction in the lower extremities is to support the venous return at three consecutive levels: foot, calf, and thigh. The function is dependent on the competency of venous valves and may be impaired because of reflux in the superficial venous system at various locations (great saphenous vein, small saphenous vein, perforating veins). A proportion of the expelled blood returns down, resulting in an increased ambulatory venous pressure….