Ricerc@Sapienza

Background: Strain gauge plethysmography (SGP) is employed to evaluate venous drainage of the lower leg.
Methods: In this study, SGP was used to evaluate the effects of the hydrostatic pressure (HP) of water on venous
volume (VV), expelled volume, and ejection fraction (EF) in 22 healthy legs before and during immersion in water.
Results: HP reduced VV by 100% and even more during underwater (UW) exercise, making calculation of the UW
EF possible.
Discussion: UW SGP is feasible and indicates that HP improves venous haemodynamics. This study suggests that
including UW leg exercise in the rehabilitation protocols of patients with chronic venous disease may be useful.
Keywords: Strain gauge plethysmography, Underwater compression, Underwater ejection fraction, Underwater
venous volume.
2020 The Auth