Carotid artery flow volume and velocity by duplex sonography in men with chronic low thoracic and lumbar spinal cord injury.

Abstract

To investigate the common carotid blood flow volume and velocity in men with chronic low thoracic and lumbar spinal cord injury (SCI), using duplex sonography. Experimental control study. University laboratory in a department of rehabilitation medicine. Twenty men with SCI between the T7 and L1 segments and 15 age- and sex-matched control subjects. Not applicable. Common carotid artery flow volume and velocity. The mean carotid artery time-averaged flow velocity of subjects with SCI was significantly lower than that of control subjects. Moreover, the mean carotid flow volume of subjects with SCI was significantly lower than that of control subjects (right side: SCI, .52+/-.14 L/min; controls, .67+/-.10 L/min; P <.05; left side: SCI, .54+/-.15 L/min; controls, .72+/-.14 L/min; P <.05). There are reduced common carotid artery flow volumes and flow velocities in men with chronic SCI. The reduction may result from disturbances of blood distribution induced by reduced vasoconstriction tone below the level of SCI lesion.