{"id":27402,"date":"2026-02-19T12:00:44","date_gmt":"2026-02-19T11:00:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.physiotutors.com\/?post_type=research&p=27402"},"modified":"2026-02-18T22:17:24","modified_gmt":"2026-02-18T21:17:24","slug":"lower-limb-arterial-disease","status":"publish","type":"research","link":"https:\/\/www.physiotutors.com\/research\/lower-limb-arterial-disease\/","title":{"rendered":"Identifying Lower Limb Arterial Disease: Clinical Takeaways and Tests That You May Have Overlooked in Your Clinical Practice"},"featured_media":27413,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":""},"featured-tag":[],"tracking_tag":[2198,2200],"class_list":["post-27402","research","type-research","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tracking_tag-ankle-foot","tracking_tag-diagnosis-imaging"],"acf":{"free_access":"unfree","app_link":"https:\/\/app.physiotutors.com\/research-reviews\/lower-limb-arterial-disease","sections":[{"acf_fc_layout":"page-header-small","background":{"background_image":27412,"background_image_alt_text":"lower limb arterial disease"},"heading":"Identifying Lower Limb Arterial Disease: Clinical Takeaways and Tests That You May Have Overlooked in Your Clinical Practice","subheading":"Feller et al. (2022)","benefits":[{"benefit":"Peripheral arterial disease often disguises itself as routine musculoskeletal leg pain, and physiotherapists may be the first to spot it"},{"benefit":"The Ankle\u2013Brachial Index is a simple, high-accuracy test that remains underused in everyday physiotherapy practice"},{"benefit":"Structured vascular screening and risk-factor awareness can prevent misdiagnosis and trigger life-saving referrals"}]},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","background_color":"none","content_alignment":"left","content_editor":"

Introduction<\/h2>\r\nPeripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a common vascular condition with a prevalence estimated at approximately 7% among individuals aged 55 to 59 years, increasing progressively with age and reaching up to 25% in those aged 95 to 99 years. Despite its high prevalence, PAD remains under-recognized in musculoskeletal practice. Clinically, it may present with lower limb pain and functional limitations that can mimic neurological conditions such as lumbar radiculopathy, leading to potential misdiagnosis.<\/span>\r\n\r\nGiven its frequency and the overlap of symptoms with neuromusculoskeletal disorders, PAD should be considered in patients who fail to respond to conventional physiotherapy interventions for presumed radicular or mechanical lower limb pain. Early identification of <\/span>lower limb arterial disease <\/span>is essential to ensure appropriate referral and management.<\/span>\r\n\r\nThis narrative review aims to provide an overview of peripheral arterial disease relevant to physiotherapy practice and to outline key clinical screening tests for lower limb arterial insufficiency, thereby supporting more accurate differential diagnosis and optimizing patient care.<\/span>\r\n\r\n \r\n

Methods<\/h2>\r\nThis narrative review was conducted by a panel of experts. However, the review does not report a detailed search strategy, including the databases consulted, search terms used, or inclusion and exclusion criteria applied. Furthermore, limited information is provided regarding the academic and professional backgrounds of the authors, making it difficult to assess the expertise informing the review process.<\/span>\r\n\r\n \r\n

Results<\/h2>\r\nPeripheral arterial disease\u00a0<\/b>\r\n\r\nPAD is a vascular condition characterized by the narrowing or obstruction of arteries that supply blood from the heart to the peripheral tissues. Although PAD most commonly affects the lower limbs, the upper extremities may also be involved.<\/span>\r\n\r\nThe condition is asymptomatic in approximately 20\u201350% of cases. Symptoms typically arise when arterial blood flow becomes insufficient to meet the metabolic demands of the tissues, particularly during physical activity. This mismatch may result in pain and functional limitation.<\/span>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_27403\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"1362\"]\"lower From: Feller et al., Musculoskelet Sci Pract. (2022)[\/caption]\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nPatient interview<\/b>\r\n\r\nSuspicion of <\/span>lower limb arterial disease<\/span> often arises during the patient interview. Symptom onset is typically insidious and progressively worsening over time. PAD is a multifactorial condition and is frequently associated with at least one cardiovascular risk factor.<\/span>\r\n\r\nPatient\u2019s Characteristic<\/b>\r\n\r\nIndividuals aged over 65 years, as well as those aged 50\u201364 years with established cardiovascular risk factors (detailed below), are considered at increased risk for lower limb arterial disease. Epidemiological data also indicate a higher prevalence of PAD among males.<\/span>\r\n\r\nMedical history<\/b>\r\n\r\nA thorough medical history is essential. The clinician should screen for cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors known to be associated with PAD, including:<\/span>\r\n