Clinical efficacy of electric stimulation of crural muscles in comprehensive treatment of post-thrombotic disease

Ryzhkin V.V.¹, Lobastov K.V.^2,3,4, Vorontsova A.V.², Schastlivtsev I.V.^2,4, Barinov V.E.^2,4, Naumov E.K.^2,3, Laberko L.A.^2,3

1) Ivanteevka Central Municipal Hospital, Ivanteevka, Moscow Region,
2) Russian National Research Medical University named after N.I. Pirogov under the RF Ministry of Public Health,
3) Municipal Clinical Hospital No 24,
4) Clinical Hospital No 1 of the Administration of the RF President’s Affairs, Moscow, Russia

The purpose of the study was to evaluate clinical efficacy of electromyostimulation (EMS) of the crural muscles as part of comprehensive therapy for post-thrombotic disease in patients with residual venous obstruction in the femoropopliteal segment.

We carried out a prospective comparative clinical study enrolling patients having endured a fist episode of clinically unprovoked venous thrombosis of the femoropopliteal segment and completed the standard 6-month course of anticoagulant therapy and presenting with ultrasonographic signs of complete recanalization of the proximal venous segments (stenosis of 20% and more from the vessel’s initial diameter), as well as scoring 5 points and more by the Villalta scale. The study included a total of 60 patients (38 men and 22 women, mean age 58.5±11.4 years) subdivided into two groups consisting of 30 patients each. Patients of both the Study and Control Groups underwent comprehensive therapy including wearing a compression knee sock (23–32 mmHg), a course phlebotrophic drugs, and dosed walking (not less than 5,000 steps a day). The Study Group patients were additionally subjected to daily electrical stimulation of the crural muscles with the "Veinoplus VI" unit (three 30-minute sessions a day). The duration of the follow up amounted to 12 months. The criteria for assessing therapeutic efficacy were as follows: severity of the disease by the VCSS and Villalta scales, quality of life as assessed by the CIVIQ-20 questionnaire, and lack of relapses of the venous thrombus. Clinical and instrumental assessment of the patients’ condition was carried out monthly, with the disease’s severity and quality of life assesses each 6 months.

Relapses of venous thrombosis were registered in 7 (23.3%) patients from the Control Group and were not observed in patients undergoing EMS (p=0.011). In 5 cases, thrombosis was asymptomatic and in 4 cases it was presented by reocclusion of the involved venous segments. Patients of the Study Group were found to have a decrease in the disease’s severity, reflected in points: VCSS (9.9±1.6 – 7.8±1.6 – 6.1±1.5 (p<0.0001)); Villalta scale (18.9±3.9 – 12.8±4.0 – 8.3±2.7 (p<0.0001)); CIVIQ-20 score (67.8±8.4 – 51.3±8.4 – 40.0±10.5 (p<0.001)). The Control Group patients showed a similar tendency for the disease’s severity: 8.1±2.8 – 7.3±2.1 – 7.2±2.1 points by the VCSS (p=0.014); 12.7±6.7 – 10.9±5.6 – 10.2±5.4 points by the Villalta scale (p=0.002), but not for quality of life: 48.2±19.3 – 46.7±17.3 – 47.4±16.2 points by the CIVIQ-20 (p>0.05). On the background of using EMS, the alterations in the studied parameters were characterized by higher velocity and intensity (p<0.05).

The use of electromyostimulation as part of comprehensive treatment for post-thrombotic disease makes it possible to efficiently eliminate both subjective and objective signs of venous insufficiency, improve patients’ quality of life and decrease the risk for the development of relapsing venous thrombosis.

KEY WORDS: venous thrombosis, post-thrombotic disease, relapse, venous insufficiency, quality of life, electrical stimulation of crural muscles.

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