In vivo Observations on the Distensibility of the Femoral Venous System.

Abstract

The gush of excess blood that appears in the venous outflow from an organ when the out-flow pressure is suddenly lowered has been selected as an index of the distensibility of the venous system of that organ. This phenomenon has been studied in innervated hind legs of anesthetized dogs with the aid of a new type of flow meter to quantitate venous outflow. This flow meter registers the venous outflow gravimetrically by means of a strain-gauge recording system. The results indicate a relatively low distensibility in the venous system of the hind leg of the dog; the volume-pressure data demonstrating a fairly linear relationship in the venous pressure range of 0-20 cm. of blood, with a trend toward even less distensibility at higher pressures,.