Intervention to treat infrapopliteal arterial disease can be challenging because the patients' comorbidities, the anatomic variables, and the limitations of our techniques. Clinical scenarios based on anatomic and clinical variables are presented. Recommendations regarding intervention (appropriate care, may be appropriate care, rarely appropriate care) are made based on best evidence. V C 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.Key words: peripheral intervention; appropriate use; peripheral arterial disease INTRODUCTION Infrapopliteal (IP) arterial disease or "below the knee" arterial disease is commonly seen in patients with long-standing diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, or the elderly. The most concerning manifestation of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in these high risk patients is the development of critical limb ischemia (CLI: ischemic rest pain or ischemic ulcers). This arterial bed consists of relatively small caliber vessels, which are often calcified and associated with diffuse, multilevel disease. Due to the complexity of this patient population, their co-morbidities, and severity of vascular disease, there is a paucity of scientific evidence for the generalizability of percutaneous revascularization.In general, non-ambulatory patients with a short life expectancy and extensive necrosis or gangrene should undergo primary amputation. Ambulatory patients who are acceptable surgical candidates, expected to survive more than two years with a patent IP artery that provides direct flow to the foot (considered to be a good distal target), and an adequate autologous venous conduit should be considered for surgical bypass. Patients with significant medical co-morbidities that limit life expectancy, those at increased risk for surgery, those without an adequate distal target for bypass, or with poor venous conduit should be considered for an endovascular-first approach.This document was developed to guide physicians in clinical decision-making in the modern practical application of endovascular intervention for patients with IP arterial disease.
ANATOMIC CONSIDERATIONSPatients with CLI typically have disease involving multiple levels (i.e., aorto-iliac, femoropopliteal (FP) and IP), but less than 10% of patients with CLI have hemodynamically significant disease in all three levels [1][2][3] (Table I). Infrainguinal disease (FP and IP) can be further subdivided into those with predominantly isolated IP disease ( 33%) and those with both FP and IP disease ( 67%) [4][5][6][7].Additional Supporting Information may be found in the online version of this article. Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions 84:539-545 (2014) Isolated IP disease is mainly seen in the elderly (>80-years old), diabetic, or dialysis-dependent patients [5]. These patients are at higher risk for amputation and have a shorter amputation-free survival compared to those with FP and IP disease (median amputation-free survival: 17 months (95% CI ¼ 9-24 m) versus 37 months (95% CI ¼ 28-44 m), P ¼ 0.001) [6]. Clinical and non-invasive cr...