Lymphatic Occlusion Pressure in Lower Limb

The lymphatic system is one of the keystones of fluid homeostasis in the interstitium. In analogy with the arterial systolic pressure, the lymphatic pressure can give us information about the functioning of the cardiovascular system and fluid exchange. Actually, knowledge about this physiological parameter is incomplete because of the lack of technology. Former measurement techniques of the lymphatic pressure in the living healthy man were invasive and too complex to be interpreted. The lymphatic occlusion pressure has to be clarified because lymphedema treatment, concerning the pressure to be applied on the edematous tissue is still based on controversial concepts. On one hand, techniques such as Manual Lymphatic Drainage, sustain the necessity to apply a very low pressure in order to avoid the squeezing of superficial lymph vessels. On the other hand sustainers of Intermittent Compression Therapy advocate the necessity to apply relatively high pressure to obtain a decongesting effect. These completely opposite opinions triggered us to study lymphatic pressure more thoroughly. Lymphofluoroscopy (emerging imaging technique in the field of lymphology) is now used since 3 years by the promoters of this study to visualize the architecture of the superficial lymphatic network and the progression of the lymph inside the highlighted vessels. This technique will be used in the present (prospective and multicentric) study to observe the effect of a pressure applied on the lower limb on the displacement of the lymph, and then to determine the occlusion pressure of the lymphatic vessels. The investigators already studied the occlusion pressure of the superficial lymphatic vessels of the upper limb in a previous study. The investigators would like to complete our results with the lower limb.