Abstract

Dr. Ardra B. Thorat*

ABSTRACT

Venous disease is responsible for 60 to 70 percent of all ulcers in the lower limb. Venous ulcers (stasis ulcers) are wound that are thought to occur due to improper functioning of venous valves usually of the legs. The exact patho-physiology of ulcer development has not been established, but they are thought to arise when venous valves that exist to prevent backflow of blood do not function properly, causing the pressure in veins to increase. The body needs the pressure gradient between arteries and veins in order for the heart to pump blood forward through arteries and into veins. Venous hypertension may also stretch veins and allow blood proteins to leak into the extra vascular space; isolating extracellular matrix (ECM) molecules and growth factors preventing them from helping to heal the wound leakage. Originally it was thought that static blood within the superficial veins led to hypoxia, which causes tissue death and this was not confirmed by investigation of venous oxygen saturation.[1]